Tiger and Piggy
by IFearKanna
Summary: As long as he's known Yuuri Katsuki, Yurio's crush has gotten the better of him. Now that they're training together every day, it's been pushed to the breaking point. Unbeknownst to poor, beleaguered Yurio, however, Yuuri has learned a lot about love since his comeback season. Rated for language and some borderline smut.
1. Love and Katsudon

A/N: This story is post-canon and the exact time frame is left up to you. If you assume Viktor would retire at around 30 (as I did with this story) Yuri could feasibly be 16 or 18 for this story. Enjoy!

Yuuri was coming to St. Petersburg. Yuuri would be training under Viktor, who would be back under Yakov, which meant the three of them would be together again. Like Hasetsu without the warmth or the beauty or the love. Not that Yakov - and Lilia, and even Mila - didn't have a "unique" brand of love, but it lacked the warmth of Hasetsu's. That was all he could think about when he first heard of it, and it completely ruined him.

Every day waiting for Viktor and Yuuri to arrive was agony. Yuri's practices were miserable, the verbal beatdowns from Yakov even worse. He couldn't focus. He was happy to see Yuuri again. He was even kind of happy to see Viktor again, although he knew every time they held each other's stupid hands he'd get dizzy or angry or both. Maybe Yakov would make them cut back on the PDA, if he was lucky. Probably not. Yakov had a lot of bluster, but he really could be a pushover.

He hadn't spoken to Yuuri since his confession on the ice - if you could call it that - at the GPF. He knew he could never actually tell Yuuri how he felt. Still, he hoped that the occasionally thick-headed but ultimately perceptive little piggy could put the pieces together and find out exactly what that performance meant. Hopefully Yuuri wouldn't be weird about it if he had.

Their arrival came and went. Things didn't seem different, though Viktor seemed to think he could hug Yuri whenever he wanted now just because he had been caught off guard once in Barcelona. Struggling didn't work, so Yuri eventually learned to just play dead until the old man gave up. Yuuri didn't seem to have grasped the meaning of his "confession." Worse still, what if he had, and he had dismissed it out of hand?

Still, Yuuri looked beautiful with his hair longer. Yuri hated it.

Practices were better with Yuuri around. Yuri found every manner of excuse to break the two sickening lovebirds apart, just like he had in Hasetsu. Yakov was perfectly content with the PDA, knowing that Viktor and Yuuri skated better because of it, and that Yuri skated better sharing a rink with his rival. Between Yuuri's stamina and Yuri's stubbornness, they typically stayed on the ice longer than Viktor. When he went home, Yuri and Yuuri could be friends again, like they had on that cold Moscow night.

Viktor always invited Yuri over to "their" apartment. Yuuri always looked upset when he declined, though Viktor, as unflappable as ever, wasn't bothered. He asked almost every day. This year, on Yuri's birthday in the midst of nationals, they changed tactics: this time it was Yuuri's invitation, to come over after practice and eat homemade katsudon.

As if he could say no to those stupid eyes. Or to katsudon in general.

Viktor's apartment was as tiny and minimalist as ever. Yuri pretended not to know it was a one bedroom as he knelt with Viktor at the "kotatsu" or whatever the table thing was called, which was as warm and inviting as he remembered. However nice it was in Japan, it was a godsend in Russia. He could see Yuuri working away in the kitchen.

"I've missed training with both of you so much," Viktor said, seemingly in earnest, but who knew with him. "I just wish it could be in Hasetsu."

Yuri smiled, too, but kept it hidden. No one saw that smile but his grandpa. Maybe Yuuri, too, but certainly not Viktor. "I'll take a warm beach over frozen tundra any day," he confessed.

"You should come with us for the off-season, Yurio," came a cheerful voice from the kitchen. Yuri blushed deeply. "We'll be practicing at the ice castle by day and steaming In the baths by night. I know Yuko and her kids will be happy to see you. Mari too, although...yeah, I know that's...weird."

Viktor stared at him expectantly, that dim-witted smile on his face. Yuri looked away, covering his eyes with his hair. "Sure, whatever. Not like I want to spend my summer at Yakov's stupid camps."

"Yay!" Viktor shouted, throwing his arms up in the air and nearly upending the table. "It will be just like last year, except now Yurio doesn't hate us anymore."

"Don't make assumptions, old man," Yuri muttered.

Viktor just laughed. "Such an adorable kitten," he purred. Yuri ignored him.

Yuuri stepped out of the kitchen finally with a covered dish in his hands. His smile was as bright as ever, those traces of uncertainty his eyes held diminished if not entirely gone. He was happier than Yuri had ever seen him here, even in this miserable city. He set down the tray and removed the lid. Piroshki sat there expectantly. "Happy birthday, Yurio," Katsuki said with a smile.

"You promised me katsudon, piggy," Yuri pouted. "Unless..."

Yuuri smiled and broke a piroshki open. The smell of egg and pork wafted onto Yuri's face, that heavenly smell he treasured from Hasetsu. "Both of your favorites at once!" He said proudly.

Yuri fought back the lump in his throat. "You remembered," was all he could choke out.

"How could I forget? It was vkusno," Yuuri said, kneeling by Viktor and taking a bite of his own piroshki. Yuri grabbed one and started eating it. The piroshki itself wasn't as good as his grandpa's, but the katsudon part was heavenly. "There was a lot of trial and error figuring out how to get it right, but Viktor was happy to eat the accidents."

"So many delicious accidents," Viktor said as he leaned over to steal a bite of Yuuri's food. Yuri "accidentally" bumped into the table, sending it into Viktor's shin.

"Oops," he said, not remotely convincing. He smirked behind his bangs as he took another bite of his own.

The food was good, and the company was better. They talked most of the night about skating, about the nationals, about Hasetsu, Yuri's grandpa, even video games. A few hours of playing the latter put Viktor to sleep, the dog resting in his chest, leaving both Yuris alone with a single cold but still very delicious piroshki. They looked at it hungrily.

"It's yours," Yuuri said with a polite smile. "Happy birthday."

Yuri snorted. "Don't act like you don't have an appetite, Katsudon," he said, still not taking it. "You're the chef. You have it."

"Then I insist, as the chef, that you eat more of my cooking."

"We can just both have it."

"Are you offering to share, Yurio? That has to be a first."

"Shut it, piggy! How can you even eat katsudon? Isn't that cannibalism?"

"Ha, ha, ha," Yuuri said dryly. He pushed the tray towards Yuri. "Eat."

He said it the exact same way Yuri did that day at the Rostelecom cup. That was what made him finally give in to temptation and take it.

"Why did you even have katsudon piroshki that day?" Yuuri asked, curious as he watched the younger boy eat.

Yuri shrugged. "I told my grandpa about katsudon. He seemed kind of offended at first, but he's just as stubborn as I am, so...he went and learned how to make these, just for me."

"You told him about katsudon?" Yuuri said with a smile. "Were you actually talking about the food, or did he just get confused because you were talking about me?"

"The food, stupid katsudon," Yuri snapped.

"What, so you didn't mention me at all?" Yuuri asked, feigning indignation.

"I didn't say that," Yuri muttered. During the ride to the Rostelecom cup he had spent roughly half the time gushing about Hasetsu and the other half bitching about Yuuri. Not that he was going to admit that.

Yuri felt suddenly self conscious as he took his first bite, feeling like he was being watched. No, examined was a more appropriate term. Feeling his face flush, he looked up at Yuuri, who was gazing rather curiously at him with his head cocked. "What are you looking at, katsudon?" Yuri asked warily.

It was Yuuri's turn to flush. Not that it was hard to do that to him anyway. "Sorry. I guess I kind of just thought of something."

"Something that made you stare at me while I eat?" Yuri continued, feeling flustered and frightened all at once.

It took Yuuri a moment to choke out an intelligible response in english. "It's just that...people always talk about you like you're this pretty, delicate Russian fairy. Not that you aren't. Pretty, I mean," Yuuri was a mess, as always. His face burned brighter until it seemed to glow. Yuri felt his heart ache at hearing the compliment, however awkward, stumble from Yuuri's mouth. The first part of the statement was completely unimportant: Yuuri had said he was pretty. "Sorry. It's just that, when I look at you, I always just see your strength. That's why I was so intimidated by you at first. Here you were, eight years younger than me and nearly a head shorter, and I was petrified by the...intensity of your eyes. So, it's just funny to me how anyone could see you as such a delicate, innocent thing like a fairy."

"Fairies are pretty powerful, I guess. Magic and stuff," Yuri grumbled, trying to feign irritation. His head was spinning. No one had ever acknowledged that about him except his grandpa and his best friend. Yuuri was suddenly in their exclusive company in addition to being the sole object of his affections. As if he needed more reasons to love the stupid katsudon.

"Yuri," he said, suddenly serious. "I have to ask. At the Barcelona GPF, I felt like you were trying to tell me something."

"When?" Yuri asked, cautious.

"During your free skate. And...after your free skate," he answered, gazing intently at Yuri.

"I just didn't want you to retire," Yuri said, strenuously avoiding eye contact.

"I know. That was confusing," Yuri heard him chuckle. "No, I mean, there was something else. I'm actually pretty good at reading people, but...well, my mental weakness gets in the way. When people think highly of me, I dismiss it, like they couldn't possibly believe that."

"Who said I think highly of you, Katsudon?" Yuri said defensively.

"You did," Yuuri pointed out. "You said I was amazing, even when I was at my worst."

Yuri felt his blood run cold for a moment, before it heated nearly to boiling. He wondered if his cheeks were about to burst into flames. He had forgotten, or forced out his mind, the conversation they'd had before the medal ceremony. He'd threatened to break Yuuri's record and keep beating him, over and over, for as long as he was on the ice. When Yuuri had smiled and said he believed that, Yuri had started to tear up again. Unable to stop himself, he'd blabbed all about how impressed he was with Yuuri even at the previous GPF. "Yeah, okay, what of it?"

"It's just us here, Yuri," Katsuki said calmly. Yuri was startled to hear his actual name come out of his friend and rival's mouth. "I know it's not easy for you to talk about stuff but, I mean, we've cried in front of each other twice now. I think we can be honest."

"You've gotten bold, Katsudon," Yuri said.

"Only because I accepted that people love me, and I loved them, too," Yuuri countered. Yuri still couldn't look him in the eye, but he could hear the smile. "Even then I still have my doubts and my worries and...other things. But I know when to push through things that are important, for myself, for Viktor, for my family, for my friends, and for you, too. You can tell me anything."

Yuri thought he was going to drop dead on the spot. His heart ached again, beating rapidly and pushing the pain out to his fingers and toes; not a bad pain, but a new one. He sat in silence, not wanting to say anything until he decided that he believed Yuuri after all. He finally managed to choke out a single phrase, spoken to the floor instead of Yuuri. "I love katsudon."

Silence. Yuuri finally managed an elegant "Huh?"

"I really, really love katsudon," Yuri continued, still speaking to the floor. He looked at the food in his hand. "I loved it from the first time I saw it, and I love it more and more every time I see it. I love it so much that when I see other people having it, I get angry. I say stupid things I don't mean, like I always do."

Yuri finally looked up from the floor to see Yuuri, stunned into silence, sitting with his hands on his knees, looking at Yuri like he was seeing him for the first time.

"I've seen katsudon almost every day for a while now, and it's been amazing, the best time of my life, but also the worst. Because I saw it, but I couldn't have it. I could never have it because they probably think I'm just a stupid kid, and they're already in love."

If Yuuri didn't know it before, he had to know now. Yuri pushed his hair back, looking across the table with both eyes for the first time. Yuuri looked like he might cry. Yuri felt the sadness turning into anger like it had back then, in the bathrooms at Sochi. He rose from the floor, tossing what was left of his food onto the tray.

"I'm leaving," he said brusquely. He didn't turn around as he stormed towards the door, ignoring the weak protests from Yuuri. It was a long walk to the bus stop, and a longer ride home, too much time alone with his thoughts. Back in his own room at Lilia's, he threw his phone into the corner without checking his notifications, held his cat tight, and fell asleep.

Practice the next day was strained. Whenever Yuuri wandered near him, Yuri skated clear across the rink to keep his space. He didn't say a word to anyone, except when he was responding to Lilia's commands. It wasn't until Yuuri cornered him at the bus stop that he was forced to speak.

"Hi, Yuri," the senior skater said quietly, cautiously, like he was dealing with a wild animal.

"What do you want, katsu...Piggy?"

"Can we please go inside and talk?" Yuuri begged.

"Why," Yuri growled. Every time he was alone with Yuuri he humiliated himself. At the waterfall, at the grand prix, on his birthday. It didn't seem to matter.

"Please," Yuuri repeated, and his hand found its way to Yuri's shoulder.

"Whatever," he spat, allowing himself to be led back into the complex. Yuuri eventually sat them down at a bench in the deserted changing rooms.

"Last night-"

"I said stupid things," Yuri interrupted. "I was drunk on pork. Or something. Whatever."

Yuuri shook his head. "I...just didn't ever think you had such strong feelings, Yuri. Except maybe anger."

"Quit that," Yuri muttered. "Call me Yurio or some other demeaning bullshit nickname."

"Okay...snow kitten," he said, testing out the name. He clearly meant it as a joke, but Yuri shuddered with a perverse pleasure. He hated that he liked it. "When Viktor first came to Hasetsu, he was so...aggressive. I figured he was just like that with everybody, like Chris. I was terrified because I didn't want to believe that my idol, someone so talented and amazing and...well, I just couldn't fathom that I meant anything to him. Until he kissed me in front of all of China."

"I don't want to hear about your stupid piggy love affairs," Yuri snapped, anger creeping into his voice.

"I promise this is going somewhere," Yuuri said, suddenly somewhat frantic. He took a deep breath. "What I'm trying to say is, I know I underestimate myself, and that makes me underestimate how people feel about me. I've gotten better at that, but I'm still not great at it, of course."

"If this is going somewhere, it's going really slowly," Yuri grumbled.

"I know," Yuuri said with a fond smile. "See, I love Viktor. I love my friends. I love my family. But I've always had a unique sort of love for you, too. Something different from how I feel about anyone else."

Yuri couldn't say anything. This was a dream, right?

"I wasn't sure how to qualify it. You being so young made it even harder-"

"I don't want to hear shit about my age," Yuri growled, biting back the fury. "I've been on my own just as long as you, katsudon."

"I know," Yuuri said softly. "I also know you're mature for your age, even if you can be a brat."

"Like you don't ever pout, piggy," Yuri mumbled.

"I know, I know. You're really kind of adorable when you're being petulant," Yuuri said. He said it awkwardly, as though the words had to fight their way past his insecurities.

"Shut up," Yuri choked out. He turned to glare at Yuuri, hair falling back over his eye. "Is this some kind of platonic love shit? I don't want to be led on. You either feel the same as I do or you don't. Just tell me."

Yuuri didn't say anything. He turned his head, brown eyes shining, looking at the fury and pain not so subtly hidden behind Yuri's green ones. Wordlessly, he raised a hand to brush aside Yuri's hair, and they just stared into each other for a while.

"What are you doing, katsudon?" He asked quietly, not making any effort to move Yuuri's hand away.

"I don't see both of your eyes often," he said, voice barely a whisper. It seemed like he wanted to say something else, but couldn't find the words. Yuri was tired of words anyway. He threw his arms around Yuuri's chest and buried his face into it aggressively. Even after his growth spurt, Yuuri was still slightly taller and far stockier than him.

He felt Yuuri's arm wrap around his slender waist and pull him closer and relished the warmth. His chest ached. It was as though a balloon was inflating in his ribcage, one full of pure joy. It almost choked him. He couldn't speak for a long time, taking the chance to breathe in Yuuri's smell, to enjoy the solid feeling of his chest. Yuri wanted to stay there forever but he felt his doubts nag at him again. "What about Viktor?"

"He heard everything last night. Pretending to sleep is his specialty," Yuri said with a gentle laugh. "Don't worry, he's not upset. He's known how you felt longer than I have."

Yuri was grateful his face was out of sight as it flushed deeply. "Bullshit," he mumbled into Yuuri's chest. "When did he say he found out?"

"When you accosted him before the short program at Barcelona. The morning after he announced the engagement in his...uniquely Viktorish way," Yuuri shook his head with an amused smile. "He was mad at first, but once he saw the look in your eyes he started to wonder. When you talked about Hasetsu, he finally understood why you were so angry."

"Well, that explains why he never brought it up again, and why he gave me that weird hug," Yuri sighed. He looked down at Yuuri's hand, the ring glaring into his eyes. He reached out for the other hand, the one without the ring, wrapping his delicate fingers around it as if to say "this one is mine now." Yuuri let it rest there. "So...you never answered me properly. Do you feel the same way about me or don't you?"

"None of us are any good with words, are we?" Yuuri asked with an awkward, quiet laugh. "I don't know exactly how you feel, so I can't answer that, Yurio. But..." he lowered his head, buying his face into Yuri's hair. He took a deep breath there, inhaling the smell of the luxurious golden mane, pulling Yuri tighter all the while. "...I hope I can at least show you."

Yuri allowed himself to melt into Yuuri's arms, hoping the warmth would crush any lingering doubts. The sentiment was clear, but he still wanted words. "What about the rings?"

"What about them?" Yuuri asked, perplexed.

"I want to be with you," Yuri whispered. "If you want to be with me, what does that mean for Viktor?"

"I still love him. Nothing's going to end our relationship any time soon," he said, still holding Yuri close. "Honestly, I spent most of the night thinking about this. The longer I thought, the more it made sense to me that I harbored strong feelings for both of you. It dawned on me that you don't give love away, but that each experience with love adds more."

"What, did all that eros and agape shit make you some kind of expert?" Yuri snorted.

"I've learned a lot since Sochi, mostly thanks to you and Viktor. About love and about myself. Plus, Viktor was up most of the night with me and he helped a lot," Yuuri answered. "He said that as long as I loved him, nothing else mattered."

"So...you're saying you want to be with both of us, or something?" Yuri wasn't sure how to feel about that. Jealousy spiked within him, but so did affection. Viktor was a pain, but Yuri did have some kind of (ugh) love for him. "I don't really want to go fooling around with Viktor. It'd be...weird."

Yuuri laughed. "He said pretty much the same. You're both with me, not with each other. You guys can continue to be...whatever you are to each other, and you and I can be-"

"Boyfriends," Yuri interjected.

"Of course," Yuuri replied fondly.

"Will it not be...weird? Sharing you?"

"You're not sharing," Yuuri said with a patient smile. "You get all of me, and he gets all of me. Maybe it'll make more sense in practice?"

"I'll figure it out," Yuri said, his confidence returning. "I like the idea of you being mine, no matter what."

They sat there in silence for a while. Yuri could have stayed forever, but Yuuri finally broke the silence with an offer. "Why don't you come back to the apartment with me? We can game some more, and I can throw together some katsudon. The normal kind."

That sounded perfect to Yuri. First, however, he had to say something. Something stupid. He moved away from Yuri's chest without breaking the hug, and looked into the soft, beautiful eyes smiling down at him. "Tell me I'm pretty," Yuri mumbled. He wanted to hear Yuuri say it again, directly this time, no matter the cost to his own pride.

Yuuri flushed violently. He stammered for a moment, gazing at the tiny Russian in his arms. "Well, I already told you what drew me to you. Your strength, your drive, your intensity. That look in your eyes when you're determined, that's why I feel so strongly for you. But," he finally smiled, even warmer than before. "Yes. You are very, very pretty."

Yuri practically purred as his face plunged into Yuuri's warm, vaguely katsudon-scented chest once again. They rose from the bench together, and Yuri forcefully stole a hand to hold. The one he had claimed. They walked in silence back to the apartment.


	2. Mice and Men

It was impossibly comfortable on his Katsudon's lap, legs tangled together, head resting in his shoulder, face buried in the crook of his neck. On the other side sat Viktor, his arms wrapped around Yuuri's waist, his head lying on the other shoulder, watching the tv with amusement. Yuuri, struggling valiantly to concentrate on his game, had an arm looped around or through each of the extremely cuddly Russians, hands barely clinging to a controller. Even Makkachin was in on the action, his head in Yuri's lap with his body splayed across Viktor's legs. It had been just over a month since the Yuris had become an item, one equal to, if newer than, the one Yuuri and Viktor already were.

Well, nearly equal. It bothered Yuri that they still hadn't kissed. He didn't expect Yuuri to make the first move, of course, insecure as he was, but he also desperately didn't want to be the one to make the first move - if Yuuri rejected him, he was pretty sure he would die or kill everyone. Maybe both. Even so, he wanted those lips so badly, the same lips that Yuuri had once licked so alluringly at the start of his eros routine. They were soft and beautiful, and Yuri wanted them more than he'd ever wanted a gold medal. He gazed at them from his position at Yuuri's left shoulder, daydreaming about how they must feel. Viktor was perfectly visible on the other side. Yuri no longer felt jealous when they were all together, but he still did it when Yuuri and Viktor had fun without him.

Their relationship had been innocent so far. They went on dates, they played games together, the three of them cuddled up on the couch at night to unwind. At night they slept in Viktor's ridiculous bed, but it stayed relatively chaste. Whenever things were about to get R-rated (or worse), they always asked if he wanted to participate, but Yuri rolled his eyes and excused himself. If they were particularly noisy, he would enjoy himself in the living room as he listened, wondering what it would be like when he and Yuuri finally got there.

They would be flying out to Hasetsu soon. Viktor, ridiculous human being that he was, had opted to re-purchase literally every item from his apartment that he brought to Hasetsu so that he could have a nearly identical bedroom at both locations. The Katsukis didn't mind since the banquet room was still unused. If anything, they seemed to find it hilarious. At least it meant the bed would still be just as large.

Yuri was still staring at his Katsudon's lips. He could steal a kiss right now, but the moment wasn't right. It had to be special. It was their first kiss, and it had to be at least as dramatic as the now-legendary one at the cup of China. Maybe Hasetsu was the perfect place, the place where all three of them had learned about life and love.

A plan started to form in his hormone crazed mind. Somewhere, somehow in Hasetsu, he was going to get that damn kiss. He closed his eyes, breathed in Yuuri's scent, and fell asleep to the sounds of computerized gunfire and laughter.

The flight to Hasetsu was longer than Yuri remembered. Viktor and Yuuri were asleep and drooling on each other as Yuri held tightly to the hand he'd claimed. With them out cold and nothing else to do, he could finally work out a plan of attack. He was the Ice Tiger of Russia, for fuck's sake. His prey would not evade him for long.

The most important part of any strategy was the attack zone. Hasetsu was full of them, to be sure. There was the ice castle, where they had shared lessons on the salchow, but that only worked if Yuko and her brood weren't around after hours. They could skate, exchange more trade secrets like last time. Maybe he could pretend to fall and steal a kiss while Yuuri hovered over him, concerned.

Perhaps the waterfall Viktor had tortured them with? It was the only other time they had been alone. Depended on the weather, probably. They could be dressed in eventually-transparent whites again. This time, they'd hold hands on purpose and enjoy the tranquility. He'd had a revelation there before, maybe he could have one about the kiss? Or maybe, if he got cold again, Yuuri would reach out for him and he could dive in for the kill.

There was also the beach where they'd had their...sparkler-fest, or whatever. God only knew how long he may have to wait for decent beach weather in April, though. He hated the thought of waiting, but seeing Yuuri at night, illuminated only by sparklers, dancing his troubles away again...he looked so beautiful when the weight of anxiety was off his shoulders. Remembering it made Yuri's chest ache. Kissing Yuuri when he was in that space again seemed divine.

Fuck it, then. Just try them all. Something will work eventually. A whole day with Yuuri would be worthwhile no matter what.

Yuri looked across the middle seat at Viktor, who was drooling on the window at this point. He carefully reached across Yuuri to poke him in the face. Viktor started, confused, and then shook the sleep out of his eyes. He smiled that goofy smile he always did when he woke up. "Morning, Yurio," he said cheerfully. He stroked Yuuri's hair as they talked. "Are we almost there?"

"Hell if I know," Yuri whispered. "You can go back to sleep, I just had a favor to ask you."

"What do you need, Yurio?" Viktor asked, intrigued. He was all smiles, but Yuri could see the gears turning in his head as he tried to work out Yuri's angle.

"I want to take Yuuri out Sunday. All day. Just the two of us. Is that alright?"

Viktor laughed as quietly as he could. Yuri could still see him processing, though. "Any reason why?"

"I don't know, does it matter?" Yuri snapped. He composed himself. "I guess I just want a day alone with him in Hasetsu. Like you guys had."

"That's so sweet, Yurio!" He said, a little louder than he should have. Yuri glared at him. "Sorry! I'm just glad you're finally comfortable enough to talk about these things."

Yuri flushed, turning to cover his face with his bangs again. "Yeah, whatever. Thanks."

"Can I ask a favor in return?" Viktor asked. Yuri could hear a playful note in his voice.

"I guess," Yuri said cautiously.

"Can I sleep in the middle tonight?" He sounded excited.

Yuri turned a wary, partially covered eye to his older rinkmate. "I don't want to be your little spoon, old man...or your big spoon."

Viktor smiled, though Yuri wasn't sure if it was a playful one or one covering up the hurt. "I'm just jealous of Yuuri getting twice the attention every night! I was thinking you two can just lay on me, maybe, so you still get to be together."

It seemed fair. He was a lot more comfortable with Viktor's familiarity now. Their feelings for each other hadn't changed, but they were nonetheless closer now than Yuri would ever care to admit. Besides, Viktor was a world-class cuddler. "Sounds alright."

His reply was a loud, triumphant "Yay!" Yuuri stirred. His partners looked at each other in fear for a moment, but it was for nothing. Thankfully their katsudon was a heavy sleeper. Viktor offered an apologetic shrug inder the intensity of Yuri's glare and leaned into Yuuri to try and sleep again. Yuri returned to his strategizing as he quietly stroked the back of Yuuri's hand.

The train station in Hasetsu was still absolutely littered in posters of Yuuri. Last time, he was too annoyed to really look at them. Now, he appreciated them - it was a really damn good picture. His past self would have appreciated it if he'd calmed down a bit.

Minako, Yuko, the triplets, and (sigh) Mari were all there to greet them. The triplets, being improbably up to date on any and all skater gossip, ruthlessly interrogated both Yuris about their suddenly warm relationship. Yuuri deflected them with embarassed stuttering, and Yuri with growling and vague threats of violence. Yuko eventually shouted them down and offered an apologetic smile.

It was a strangely comforting kind of annoyance. As much as he kind of wanted to punt the entire otaku trio right back to the ice castle, part of him really wanted to kneel down and tell them ALL about his relationship. He didn't even care that it would be all over the internet in minutes. Maybe he even wanted that. Still, even once the triplets were browbeaten into silence, it was Minako's turn to interrogate (Mari was kind of just hanging around, silent, staring at Yuri's hair and daydreaming about that boy band of hers). Yuuri, having dealt with Minako's inquiries for more or less his entire life, successfully navigated his way through the conversation via carefully calculated awkwardness.

The rest of the evening was a blur of katsudon, love, and hot springs. Yuuri's family was still so utterly different from his own. It was confusing. He wanted to accept it, but their affection was so foreign to him. Hopefully he was at least a little but more grateful than last time.

Horribly jet-lagged, he and Yuuri made their way to Viktor's weirdly duplicated bedroom. Viktor himself, having proven himself to be much more pliant with regards to relationship details, was hauled out drinking with Minako. Yuri collapsed immediately onto the familiar bed spread. "You'd think my body would be used to jet lag by now," he groaned into a pillow.

Yuuri laughed from across the room. "I don't think it's possible to get used to, little snow kitten."

A shiver ran down Yuri's spine. Why did he love that name so much? He flipped over, watching Yuuri strip down for bed. "I'm too tired to even sit in a hot spring. How pathetic is that?"

"It's understandable," Yuuri answered, down to his underwear (they looked similar to the ones from the banquet, Yuri noted). He flopped right next to Yuri. "Especially since Viktor said you didn't sleep at all on the plane."

Yuri quickly sat up and pulled his shirt over his head, hoping to cover as much of his blushing face as possible. "Does he ever actually sleep or does he just pretend so he can spy on people?"

"He's not actually asleep until he starts drooling. Pro tip," Yuuri said with a chuckle as a silken-boxer clad Yuri (leopard print, naturally) returned to his spot. Yuuri reached over and started absently tracing circles across the soft skin of his Russian Tiger's flat stomach.

"Well, I did get some sleep," Yuri lied. "I was just...busy."

"Busy? On a plane?" Yuuri asked, still tracing circles.

"Thinking or whatever. Is this supposed to be an interrogation?" Yuri rolled over to face his Katsudon. Yuuri's hand dropped between them on the bed, so Yuri promptly stole it for himself.

Yuuri smiled. "Absolutely. I demand every detail, or I'll lock you in the hot spring for the night."

"Doesn't sound like much of a punishment."

"Well, you won't get to sleep with me in there, so..."

With a smirk, the Russian Tiger abruptly dropped his stolen hand and pounced atop Yuuri. Straddling the blushing, stocky skater, he leaned down until their faces were inches away. "Just try and stop me, Katsudon," he hissed, equal parts threatening and affectionate.

Yuuri loved being pinned down almost as much as Viktor. His loving brown eyes were suddenly half open, eyelids heavy with lust, as his breathing became short and ragged. He rested his hands on Yuri's hips as his body began to react in other ways. Teasing him like this was a favorite pastime of Yuri's. He started to slowly rock his hips back and forth, face still hovering just over Yuuri's. "If you keep doing this to me, it's gonna have to go somewhere sooner or later," he spluttered.

Yuri stopped moving his hips and leaned in closer, looking right into Yuuri's hazy eyes. He leaned down so that his lips were grazing his poor, flustered partner's ear. "Nope," he whispered, and he rolled off of Yuuri and back to his spot, watching with amusement as Yuuri rushed to hide his arousal. "That's your punishment for interrogating me."

"I've never had a punishment that I loved and hated so much in my life," Yuuri sighed, blushing furiously, as he was wont to do.

"That's my specialty."

"Don't I know it," Yuuri said, rolling over to face Yuri and beckoning him closer. He moved forwards, letting Yuuri pull him in close, his head resting between Yuuri's shoulder and neck. "Was what you were thinking about really that secret?"

"No," Yuri confessed. "Just...planning stuff. Future stuff. Maybe it's a surprise."

"My birthday is ages away, and you're not the type to celebrate one month anniversaries..."

"God, no."

"Are we celebrating Worlds again?"

"Ugh, we did plenty of that."

"Is it Onsen on Ice part two?"

"What am I, skater otaku? Gross."

"I'm running out of ideas. Maybe some kind of celebration of our last time here?" The way Yuuri's eyes lit up when he was thinking was so beautiful. Lying here in Hasetsu, completely at ease with the world, his hair in beautiful disarray as he searched for the answer, his eyes sparkled more than anything they could light at the beach.

Yuri had just barely held back while teasing him. Now, with the tension of that moment not fully dissipated, and Yuuri looking so damn beautiful, his plans completely fell apart. He shot forward, mouth wide open, eyes closed, bridging the gap between them immediately and catching Yuuri mid-sentence. His eyes were still shut tight, holding to the memory of Yuuri's face the moment before he leapt forward. He felt Yuuri sit there, unresponsive, shocked, for the briefest of moments before his mouth opened in kind to the inexperienced kiss, slowly guiding him into something more practical. Yuuri pulled him in closer, tightly holding him by the waist with one hand whole the other ran through his long, blonde hair. Yuri likewise kept one hand on Yuuri's chest, the other caressing his face. He could feel the ring on his back. The kiss continued, both mouths opening as their tongues caressed each other as gingerly as their hands.

Yuri was lost in a haze of affection and arousal for so long he forgot to breathe. He finally stopped for air, cracking open his eyes ever so slightly to see Yuuri, panting and gazing back at him through heavy-lidded eyes. "That. That's what I was planning, katsudon, and you ruined it. Moron."

"I've never been happier to ruin something," he whispered.

"Either tell me I'm pretty or shut up and kiss me again, Katsudon," Yuri growled, pulling Yuuri's face closer again.

"You're so beautiful, Yuri," he sighed. He leaned in to kiss again, but Yuri pulled back.

"But am I pretty?" He insisted.

"You are very, very, pretty," Yuuri said, smiling, looking into the Tiger's shining green eyes as his fingers ran through a luxurious golden mane.

"Damn right," Yuri whispered back, lips practically grazing Yuuri's. He dove in for another taste, wishing he could live off katsudon and only katsudon for the rest of his life.


	3. Agape and Eros

It was Sunday at last. Lying in the darkness of Viktor's "home away from home," as he called it with no small amout of accuracy, Yuri enjoyed the feeling of Yuuri's warm, loving but strong arms wrapped around him. Though the two Yuris had similar builds, Yuuri was considerably stockier than the slender Russian Tiger. His arms, chest, back, and especially his legs were built of sturdier stuff than even Viktor, though all three of them had the definition and grace you would expect of a professional athlete.

Sometimes, Yuri would snuggle back into his katsudon's embrace, enjoying the feeling of Yuuri's chest against his back, the sensation of his legs trapped between Yuuri's considerably thicker thighs, the strong arms wrapped around him. Still, Yuri's favorite part had to be the shoulders and back. He loved how broad they were, and he frequently imagined digging his claws into them out of sheer passion one day.

This particular morning, Yuri had to fight the urge to stay there until the sleeping beauty awoke. That would take valuable time from their day together, considering Yuuri was a heavy sleeper and a night owl. Viktor, irrepressibly chipper morning person that he was, had already gone off somewhere. The onsen probably. Yuri had little doubt most of Viktor's day alone would be spent there.

Still, Yuri allowed himself a good half an hour of lying awake in his katsudon's loving embrace, watching the clock all the while. He scrolled through his Instagram feed lazily, occasionally putting down his phone to reflexively snuggle back into Yuuri, sometimes grinding his hips a bit to hear the sleepy moaning sounds. Reluctantly, he decided it was time to get moving, and he rolled over to face Yuuri.

He really was a sleeping beauty. Yuri's heart pounded the way it always did when affection overcame him. He leaned forward and kissed Yuuri deeply, running a hand through his soft raven-black hair and another down his back. Eventually his eyes opened, looking at Yuri hazily, and he smiled into the kiss. Their tongues met briefly as Yuuri pulled him closer, then broke the kiss, brushing Yuri's hair away to stare into the beautiful viridian eyes that so captivated him.

"You're more alert than you usually are in the mornings, katsudon," Yuri teased as he swatted the hand away and sat up, letting what was left of the covers slide off his pale and delicate, almost porcelain-like, bare skin.

Yuuri sat up behind him and wrapped his arms around the Russian's slender waist, resting his head on a soft, supple shoulder. His hands caressed a toned stomach. "Well, I had a really nice wake up call."

Sighing, Yuri leaned back into the embrace for a moment, then wriggled free. "Enough cuddling, katsudon," he grumbled, his tone indicating clearly that he'd had anything but enough. "We've got a whole day together. I want to make the best of it."

"That's right, it's sunday," Yuuri yawned. "I gotta say, it has definitely been a while since we had some alone time. Not counting when Viktor gets up super early and we get to stay in bed while he makes breakfast."

Yuri smiled, a warm smile absolutely drenched with affection. He knew that if he could see his reflection, he would probably vomit out of shame. He hid the smile behind his clothes as he started to dress. "Yeah, well, I'm gonna keep you busy today, katsudon, so be ready."

An exceedingly nervous chuckle emanated from the bed. "That sounds...kind of scary, but in a way that gets me weirdly excited."

It took a moment for Yuri to catch on to Yuuri's train of thought. When he did, he nearly fell over as he missed his pant leg by about a foot. "Not like that, perv! I just have a lot of stuff planned, okay?!"

"No no no no no no!" Yuuri stammered, waving his hands frantically. "I wasn't thinking that, I swear!"

"Bullshit," Yuri muttered. His pants were on correctly this time. He turned to see Yuuri still on the bed, kneeling flushed and nervous on the bed. He couldn't help but offer a small, but warm, smile. "Get dressed already, katsudon. Bring your practice clothes and your skates, alright?"

Yuuri rose at last, stretching languidly in his boxer briefs. Yuri's eyes carefully scanned every inch of bare flesh, every ounce of muscle, and every contour of his body. He shuddered. He really did feel lucky sometimes. "We get a day together during off-season and you want to practice more?"

"No, stupid katsudon," Yuri snapped, though it was more exasperated than angry. "I just want to mess around on the ice a little bit. Viktor said you did that a lot at Ice Castle and I...well I've never really had fun skating. I wanted to try it."

"I'm not surprised to hear you always take it so seriously," Yuuri said, still smiling warmly. He he walked towards the door and peeked out to make sure no one was around, allowing Yuri a lengthy stare at his backside. Yuuri knew damn well he was rather gifted in the ass department, despite his many insecurities. His costumes almost always showed it off. Yuri relished the moment, taking in the shapely contours of round, firm flesh. "I'll get dressed in my room. Meet you out front?"

Yuri nodded, and they parted ways. He crammed his things into a duffel bag and flopped back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He refused to let his hours of planning at the airport go to waste, not to mention the surprise he'd been practicing (with Viktor's enthusiastic help) while Yuuri slept in.

Yuuri took his sweet time getting ready, causing him to run into a fuming tiger at the door to the inn. After a frantic apology and a few paltry excuses, the two of them ran to the Ice Castle together. Yuri was faster, but Yuuri had longer legs and far more stamina. Still, Yuri could push himself when he had to. He needed to save energy today, though, so Yuuri beat him to the door.

"Don't get too proud of yourself, piggy," Yuri panted as he looked up at the irrationally proud pork cutlet bowl standing before him. "Come on, let's get set up."

The Ice Castle wasn't even open yet, dawn light glowing through the windows. Yuko let them in with a on impossibly bright smile, clearly just as much of a morning person as Viktor. She fawned a little over how much Yuri had grown (even though it wasn't much, he was still shorter than Yuuri) but he wasn't really listening. His mind was focused om the task ahead with deadly intensity.

Yuri felt his heart pounding against his ribcage as they walked out to the rink. He held a CD case in one trembling hand as he walked out to the rink, keeping a lookout for the stereo he knew was around here somewhere. Since the rink wasn't technically open yet, this was the perfect time to show Yuuri the fruits of his labor away from prying eyes.

Just as Yuuri walked past him, he finally spotted his prey and ran for it, shoving Yuuri out of the way somewhat violently. There was a solid thump from the wall but Yuri kept going, practically throwing the CD into the tray and slamming it shut. He felt his face and ears burning and hunched over to keep it hidden.

Yuuri walked over, rubbing his shoulder. "What was all that about?"

"I want to show you something," Yuri murmured. "I'll tell you when to start the music. Or...maybe you'll know when you see it. Don't peek at the label, okay?"

"Okay," Yuri said warily. His hand came to a rest on the play button as Yuri removed his guards and skated out to the center of the rink, where he stood with one leg bent in front of the other, back arched, arms down at his sides as his hands hovered just a hair's breadth away from his hips. He looked down to the ice, away from Yuuri, and stood there a moment, hoping he would recognize the pose.

If he did, he was clearly frozen in shock. "Come on, start it already, katsudon!"

The familiar sounds of On Love: Eros filled the rink. Yuri raised his arms graceully, seductively, and lowered them in front of his body. He sound his arms around, striking the familiar pose that had once made his mind so hazy, and turned to look directly at a very stunned Yuuri. He tilted back his head, raising his eyebrows and gazing at Yuuri with all the lust he could manage, remembering how he felt during their first kiss.

The music began in earnest, and he was off. There was no pressure with just the two of them here, beyond Yuri's desire to seduce his katsudon as much as possible. As he worked his way through the complex and erotic step sequence, one that he knew only Yuuri could ever do so perfectly, he thought about how he felt when he was straddling Yuuri's lap, teasing him with the motion of his hips and the delicate caress of his hands across his chest. Those familiar motions wove into the sequence, his hips swaying with every turn.

He began to lose himself in a haze of lust as he thought about the way Yuuri's body reacted to his touch. He abandoned any and all insecurities or defenses he had, giving himself over to the desire he felt burning whenever he lay in Yuuri's arms. Originally Yuri had planned to stick with triple jumps, hoping to take it easy and have fun (hopefully) entrancing Yuuri instead of performing a full short program, but his competitive nature won out in the end. It wasn't nearly enough to just seduce Yuuri, no, Yuri wanted to blow his mind.

Unable to resist showing off even as he felt the arousal and the love he held for Yuuri, the quads became tano jumps, the salchow with a single arm raised and the quad-triple combo with one and then two. He over-rotated on the combo, but it didn't matter. He was completely lost to the music, buried in a haze of lust. He went into the final spin, casting his arms to his sides dramatically and turning his body towards Yuuri, his face pointed away in the final pose. He stood there in silence for a while, fearing Yuuri's response.

It was quiet. Deathly quiet. Eventually Yuri turned around to see a flushing, ecstatic Yuuri enter the rink and start skating towards him. Yuri had only a moment to brace himself as the stockier skater came crashing into him, lips first, as they fell to the ice still locked in a deep, passionate kiss. Yuri could feel his (literal and figurative) excitement already.

The kiss went on for what felt like forever and yet not nearly long enough, his back pressed against the ice, clothes getting damp, as Yuuri cradled his head and continued to kiss him deeply, hungrily, Yuri clinging tightly to the broad shoulders of the man above him, digging in with his claws. Their tongues were locked in an aggressive struggle, battling for dominance. Eventually they had to stop for fresh air and they lay on the ice, gazing at each other. Yuuri looked different, more in charge, more hungry than usual. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. It was hot, but he liked being the one to drive Yuuri around, dammit.

"Just so you know, katsudon," Yuri panted, still trying to catch his breath on the cold ice, "This was pretty much exactly what I'd planned for our first kiss."

"I'd say I'm sorry I ruined it again, but I'm still not," Yuuri said as he leaned down again and laid a trail of cautious yet tender kisses along Yuri's jawline. "That was so amazing, Yuri. It's funny, but, you know what I thought when I saw Viktor skate Eros the first time?"

Yuri struggled to find his voice. "I'm sure it was pathetic, but can you tell me off the ice? I'm literally freezing to the rink," he mumbled. Yuuri flushed and helped him up while muttering apologies. They skated back to the barrier, and Yuri noticed a very dazed looking Yuko slumped against the wall. "Oh god, she watched, didn't she?"

Yuuri nodded sheepishly. "I'm not sure when she showed up. I barely even remember her shrieking. That's how into your performance I was."

Warmth crept into Yuri's cheeks. "Well, now you know how I felt when I watched you skate in China. I was so distracted I ended up sucking air through a straw for two minutes instead of juice..."

"I never imagined I could have that effect on you," Yuuri said as he helped Yuko onto her feet. "Anyway, back then...yeah, I guess it was pretty pathetic, but all I could think was that the eros was so overwhelming I thought I could get pregnant."

Yuri couldn't help but snort and burst into noisy laughter, doubling over the barrier. Yuuri blushed violently as he lowered a weak-kneed Yuko into a chair. "Yurio, that was so beautiful," she mumbled.

"So, katsudon," Yuri said as the laughter subsided, "Did I knock you up?"

Yuuri smiled. "I know Viktor probably didn't have the extended amount of time to practice that you did, but you definitely out-erosed him. So...yeah, I guess you did."

"In that case, we may have another Onsen on Ice after all," Yuri smirked. "This time, you can be the judge. What does the winner get, katsudon?"

The already red face turned scarlet. "I-I guess that's up to you guys..."

"Oh, I know what I want," Yuri growled as he pounced, wrapping his slender legs around Yuuri's waist as he slammed against the wall for the second time that day. Yuri bit into his bottom lip, savoring the taste. He pulled back and looked at a very satisfied (if slightly injured) Yuuri.

"Let me see if I can return the favor, then," Yuuri said, smiling through his embarrassment. "You borrowed that from Viktor, right? It should have Agape as well."

"What, you think you can do my program justice on a whim? I worked on Eros for weeks," Yuri bragged, lowering himself to the floor.

"I guess we'll see," Yuuri said as he skated out to the center of the rink. "Hit play when I'm in position...kitten."

Yuri shuddered at the name like he always did and dutifully took his place by the stereo. Yuuri came to a stop, arms at his side, looking down at the ice. Yuri pressed play as instructed, and watched as Yuuri came alight. The song was so familiar by now he could barely hear it, but it didn't matter. Even without the stereo on, he would be able to hear every note emanating from Yuuri. His interpretation and his step sequence were just as divine as ever.

The program wasn't an exact duplicate, though. Whether it was because Yuuri had forgotten some of the steps, was improvising, or didn't even notice, there was an unmistakable element of eros woven into the performance. Yuuri's hips and arms swayed seductively into the sequence, and his turns were so fast Yuri could swear he heard the crack of a whip. Despite that, the Agape was clear and beautiful. The two intertwined so perfectly Yuri felt emotions he couldn't begin to express. As Yuuri neared the final jump, there was a sudden dampness on Yuri's face that matched his soaking clothes. He didn't even know when he'd started to cry.

As if it wasn't enough that Yuuri was probably annihilating his personal best PCS, surely it would have been an almost unheard of perfect score, the final jump was a quad. Not only a quad, but Yuuri's new specialty, a quad flip at the very end of a program. He nearly grazed the ice as he had at Barcelona, but while the jump was imperfect, it was still breathtaking in beauty and complexity. Yuuri entered the final spin, another specialty of his, with aplomb. Yuri had never felt so much love and so much arousal at once.

Yuuri stood alone in the rink with his hands raised towards the ceiling, looking like an angel. The kitten hurriedly wiped his tears away, turning away from the rink towards a now-weeping Yuko. "You both just skate so beautifully!" She sobbed. He turned back to Yuuri, dry-eyes and questioning Yuko's sanity (though who could blame her with the triplets causing so much trouble).

"How was it?" Yuuri asked with an obvious air of uncertainty.

"It was alright, I guess," Yuri mumbled. Yuuri's face fell. "Okay, okay, it was amazing. Whatever. Don't let it get to your head, katsudon."

"I love how you can be so affectionate and then switch it right back off," Yuuri said, shaking his head. "How was it, really?"

Yuri pouted. He hated when Yuuri was right. "It was...beautiful. I can't really think of any other way to say it. Just...know I'll be thinking about it for a long time."

"It probably wasn't half as good as yours," Yuuri mumbled, humble as ever. "The way you danced so erotically but with those elements of agape, plain as day...I don't think I could ever do that."

Yuri barely suppressed his shock. He wasn't even aware he had done that. Did Yuuri even realize he'd done the same? Or was he just being insecure again, assuming Yuri had one-upped him? "Yeah, I practiced it with Viktor for a while. It was hard work but...definitely worth it."

"I'll say," Yuuri said quietly. He reached out and took Yuri's hand, leading him to the gate. "Come on, let's try something together."


	4. Eros and Agape

Hi! My name is Yuuri Katsuki. I'm a JSF certified skater and GPF medalist, and my life doesn't make any sense! For 23 years I never bothered putting any effort into dating or girls or boys except pining after my idol, Viktor Nikiforov, and my friend Yuko when I was younger. In fact, I kind of actively worked to push people away, or so Phichit tells me. Oops.

But then, one fateful day, I skated Viktor's famous free program, Stay Close to Me. Yuko's troublemaking triplets filmed it and snuck it onto the internet. I almost died when Nishigori told me. But then, the next day - no, seriously, the next day, I have no idea how he pulled it off - Viktor Nikiforov, five time GPF and Worlds gold medalist, showed up at my home butt naked.

I almost died again.

He told me (after 8 months together) that I seduced him in a drunken haze at the previous GPF banquet. Apparently drunk me is an excellent stripper...I still get nauseous thinking about it, so I did my best to repress it. I also wish Chris would stop thinking about it. The story is pretty famous now, but the important thing is that we eventually got engaged. Engaged to the man I have about a dozen posters of, and who was effectively the reason I even discovered I liked guys to begin with.

I seriously look at my ring and my medals and my coach almost every night and wait for the dream to end. When it doesn't, I...well, let's just say I'm pretty emotional.

Anyway, as surprising as Viktor's feelings were to me, pretty much everyone else saw it coming. What no one could have figured out is that Viktor wasn't the only person I seduced at the GPF (Chris doesn't count, he can be seduced by a stiff breeze). I don't think anyone would have imagined I, quiet, awkward person that I am, would so enthrall the two most beautiful Russians in the men's skating world. Especially considering I'm just some awkward Japanese guy who can barely land a jump.

So, somehow, this totally average looking 20-something dime-a-dozen Japanese figure skater who considers katsudon the most erotic part of his life, has ended up in two independent, committed relationships with two ridiculously hot gentlemen.

Yeah, I don't get it either. It honestly keeps me up at night. At least until Viktor does that thing where he nuzzles right into space between my head and my neck. That knocks me right out.

You may be wondering how our thing works. It's pretty simple really, but I guess it's not for everyone. So...imagine being in a committed relationship with someone. Then imagine you are also in a committed relationship with someone else, and both of them are really good friends (even if one of them likes to pretend they aren't). Sometimes in these situations, all three people are in one big relationship together. Viktor and Yurio don't feel that way about each other, though. That being said, they do still cuddle together sometimes, usually around or on top of me. There's just no sexual or romantic component to their love.

Like I said, simple!

There are some kinks. For example, the two of them frequently engage in some pretty ridiculous one-upsmanship. For Viktor, it's a cute game, but Yurio...takes it very seriously sometimes.

Once I was sitting down to dinner and Yurio sat down next to me, got tangled up in my arm, and stole my food right before I could get it to my mouth like an actual kitten. It was really cute, actually...but Viktor saw, and after gushing over how cute it was, he came over and asked if he could have a taste. I offered him some, but then he just kissed me, long and hard, passionately enough that I sorta forgot what was happening, and licked his lips. That's...what his kisses are usually like, actually, but I digress. Yurio, suddenly determined, took the bite of food I'd held up for Viktor and started to slowly and seductively eat it off the chopsticks. He was looking me dead in the eyes the whole time. That, of course, lead to Viktor taking the food away entirely and starting to suck the sauce off of my fingers, and, well, it was a while before I managed to get back to dinner.

Am I a bad person if i kind of love it? Because I do. I love it a lot.

Yuri and I still haven't gotten to the...intimate stage of our relationship yet, and we've only just started kissing. Yurio is a pretty amazing kisser, and an unsurprisingly aggressive one at that. I usually end up with at least one swollen lip when we get into it. He needed some instruction though. Our first kiss started with him basically trying to eat my face. He proved to be a quick study, and I think he asked Viktor for tips because they have the exact same tongue technique. Viktor is more experienced with it, but Yuri is more...agile. And softer.

I really love it. It's amazing having two people that I have so much in common with. I can't really play video games with Viktor, for example, but Yurio loves playing with me. Viktor likes to take me out to sight see or try out fun and sometimes terrifying new things. Yurio usually doesn't join us (he generally hates everyone but us, Otabek, and his skating team) but he's always there when we get back. Both of them are extremely affectionate, and in complementary ways, too. We all coexist pretty perfectly. It's only been two months, though, so maybe it's too early to tell.

Anyway, Yurio apparently negotiated some kind of deal with Viktor to get a day alone with me. I resented being left out of it a little at first, but I was happy to see them getting so well, and especially happy to see how happy Yurio was with our relationship as a whole. Also, both of us snuggling on Viktor was pretty great. We kissed right on his chest and he just kind of stroked our hair and let us have a moment. He was really happy we had our first kiss.

Did I mention how amazing they are? I'm waiting for the dream to end again. I don't know what I'll do if it does.

The morning of our day together, Yurio woke me up with an incredible kiss. It had been less than week since our first, and he had come so far already. It was hot and heavy, even so early in the morning, and for once I woke right up.

"You're more alert than you usually are in the mornings, katsudon," Yurio teased. He sat up and let the sheets slide off him. Though barely visible in the dimly lit room, his hair and skin almost gleamed.

Unable to resist and unwilling to let him leave the bed, I threw my arms around his tiny waist, resting my head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent. He still smelled kind of like his cat, whom I had come to love dearly despite my general aversion to its kind. I let my hands wander a bit. "Well, I had a really nice wake up call."

Yuri sighed quietly and leaned into me for a moment, but shook his head and wriggled free. "Enough cuddling, katsudon," he grumbled, though I'm not sure if I really believed that. "We've got a whole day together. I want to make the best of it."

"That's right, it's sunday," I said with a noisy yawn. "I gotta say, it has definitely been a while since we had some alone time. Not counting when Viktor gets up super early and we get to stay in bed while he makes breakfast."

"Yeah, well, I'm gonna keep you busy today, katsudon, so be ready," Yurio said, sounding confident as he slid a shirt over his head.

The image of Yurio on top of me, hovering just above my face and wiggling his hips into my groin overcame me. I choked out a laugh. "That sounds...kind of scary, but in a way that gets me weirdly excited."

Yurio, caught in the middle of sliding pants over his adorable (and tight) tiger stripe briefs, nearly crashed into wall. "Not like that, perv! I just have a lot of stuff planned, okay?!"

"No no no no no no!" I lied, flailing pathetically. "I wasn't thinking that, I swear!"

"Bullshit," Yuri muttered. He had his pants on correctly now, and I found myself missing the sight of his nearly naked body. How could he possibly be so delicate and so strong, so loving and so aggressive, all at once? "Get dressed already, katsudon. Bring your practice clothes and your skates, alright?"

"We get a day together during off-season and you want to practice more?" I grumbled, stretching and trying to wake myself up properly. Not sure why I was surprised. That seemed like exactly the kind of think Yurio would want to do on a vacation.

"No, stupid katsudon," Yuri snapped. He didn't sound angry though. In fact, he seemed nervous for some reason."I just want to mess around on the ice a little bit. Viktor said you did that a lot at Ice Castle and I...well I've never really had fun skating. I wanted to try it."

It was upsetting to hear, though I understood the sentiment. "I'm not surprised to hear you always take it so seriously," I said, doing my best to sound comforting. I brushed past him and peeked out into the (mercifully empty) hall. I also made sure to stick my butt towards Yurio as obviously as possible. I'm not confident in much, but even I know I have a nice ass. "I'll get dressed in my room. Meet you out front?"

Yurio nodded, and I slipped down the hall into my room. I stumbled around for the light...and came face to face with all of my once-hidden Viktor posters, and the man himself lounging on my bed as seductively as possible.

I was definitely going to die this time. An aneurysm before I hit 30 right here in my own bedroom. Why did he have to dig out the posters?!

"Good morning Yuuri," he crooned, leering at me with eyes full of mischief. "You should have told me you had all these lovely posters. I'd love to have some of them back in Russia."

"Okay great then I'll take them down and pack them away right now," I babbled nigh-incoherently. I tore them down in a blind panic (again) as Viktor laughed.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Yuuri," Viktor teased. That really wasn't helping. "I already knew you were a fan of mine."

Yeah, well, if you knew what I did looking at these posters from the ages of twelve to twenty-two, you wouldn't be laughing. Actually...yes, yes you would. Then you would text Chris about it and I would finally keel over in shame. "What are you even doing in here?" I demanded, still blushing all the way to my ears as I lay the posters on my desk.

Viktor slowly rose from the bed, shirtless and in some undoubtedly expensive pajama bottoms. He walked over and kissed my forehead, pulling me into a warm embrace. My fear and frustration melted away like butter. "Yurio wanted the day just for you two, so I got up a little early and came to sleep in here. That way you boys could wake up together."

"You're being so utterly sweet about this," I mumbled into his chest.

"He's still so young, I figure he needs some time to work this out. No harm in indulging him here and there. Besides," he said, and I swear I heard him smirk. "You two are just so adorable together. I have half a mind to tail the two of you and watch everything, but we made a deal."

I rolled my eyes and kissed away the smirk. For a moment, I wondered if he could taste Yurio on my lips. "Well, I need to get dressed, or Yurio's gonna get frustrated."

"Don't let me stop you," Viktor said as he sat down in my chair, clearly intending to watch. I couldn't help but smile. This was what I had fallen in love with, after all. I got dressed as erotically as I could manage (so not very) and gave him a quick kiss as I headed out the door.

I was late, of course. Yurio fumed for a bit and practically dragged me outside. Suddenly it became a race to Ice Castle, which I won handily. Yurio acted like it had been close, but I knew better.

I knocked on the still-locked door of the rink, knowing Yuko would be inside setting up. She came pretty quickly and let us in with a good morning smile. "Hey boys! You want to get in an early skate?"

"Yeah, it was Yurio's idea-"

Yurio pushed past me, almost shaking with anticipation for some reason. "Just let us in already!"

"Aw, you're taller than me now!" Yuko fawned, pulling him into the most motherly hug possible. "You'll be taller than Yuuri soon too, I bet."

He squirmed away and practically bolted to the changing room. I offered an apologetic shrug and followed. Yuko seemed to understand, but given how unruly the triplets could be, I'm sure Yurio was easier to handle even at his brattiest.

After I pulled my favorite red training shirt over my head, I noticed Yurio trying to hide a CD case while he thought I couldn't see. I didn't know he brought music, let alone something secret. We laced up our skates together and he couldn't resist throwing his arms around me in a trademark aggressive hug.

"You look good in red," he whispered directly into my ear. I could tell from his tome that if anyone else heard it, they were doomed.

"Well, you look beautiful in black," I mumbled back. He grumbled at me and pushed away, trying to beat me out to the rink. I made no effort to rush.

Once I made it to the rink, I spotted Yurio scanning the room in a rush. He was probably looking for the stereo. I started to walk towards it, but then he noticed it himself and sent me careening into the wall as he barreled past.

It wasn't the first time I'd slammed into this wall. I rubbed the ache out of my shoulder and walked over to a furiously blushing Yurio standing nearby. "What was all that about?"

"I want to show you something," Yuri said quietly, not making eye contact. "I'll tell you when to start the music. Or...maybe you'll know when you see it. Don't peek at the label, okay?"

"Okay," I said, confused. With mounting curiosity, I watched Yurio take off his guards and skate out to the center of the rink.

And then he struck a pose I was so familiar with I could do it in my sleep. Eros. He'd been practicing Eros for me.

I didn't even realize I had frozen up until Yurio shouted "Come on, start it already, katsudon!"

I flailed in the general direction of the play button until the music began. Yuri spun around into the opening moves, looking directly at me with a look so smoldering I thought the ice might melt the same way my legs did. I heard a squeak from somewhere behind me and dismissed it out of hand. No way was I taking my eyes off this.

The routine began, familiar but all-new at the same time. Yurio's movements were erotic yet tender, tempered by memories of his own routine. I could feel a year of pain and unrequited affections in every movement, but also the ecstasy of release he felt from finally being with me. It was more beautiful than I'd ever seen it, from myself or from Viktor.

He moved his hips seductively even as his face was serene as beautiful, his step sequence was as smooth and graceful as it was deeply arousing. My body agreed, apparently. The familiar movements of his hips recalled the way he liked to tease me, and I imagined his face hovering just above mine again, his beautiful, soft hair cascading around us and creating a curtain that drew us together, alone, peaceful, him moments away from ravaging me without mercy.

This song still brought out my inner party-stripper. I wanted to tackle him to the ice and have my way with him, but I fought it back, knowing he might not be ready for a long time.

It wasn't often Yurio could lose himself in a performance like this. The only other time I had seen it was during his programs at the Barcelona GPF, before the growth spurt complicated his movements. There was no trace of those issues in this performance until the very last jump, where he overbalanced. Still, who could blame him? It was a friendly practice session between two lovers and he was giving it his all, raising his arms into the jumps like he was going for a perfect score. He might not have broken his record with this performance, but he might have broken my own personal best for Eros.

It was over all too quickly. Yurio stood on the ice holding himself tenderly. I shook myself out of the lustful haze and finally noticed Yuko, speechless and drooling, on the floor behind me. I wanted to help but I had a job to do. I stumbled over to the gate, weak-kneed, and practically kicked my guards off, not even caring where they ended up. I was skating at high speed as Yurio turned around as I slammed into him, face first, catching him off guard and sending him to the ice. I protected the back of his head and made sure not to crush him as I lost myself in the sweet taste of his soft, almost innocent lips.

In just a couple of weeks he had gone from a sloppy, inexperienced but passionate (and aggressive) kisser to a calm, erotic, still passionate (and aggressive) kisser. Tat was how he approached every situation: throwing himself at it and practicing again and again until he was the best. He wasn't up to Viktor's nigh-professional skill yet but I loved that he was unique and...well, like I said before, aggressive.

Kneeling over him, I let all the passion I had felt wash over both of us, getting sweet revenge for every second of beautiful torment he had inflicted on me since our first night together. His teeth dug into my bottom lip just enough to avoid drawing blood. I felt his fingers digging into my shoulders as a breathless moan escaped his lips. I let him have a moment as I stared into the beautiful eyes I had fallen for so quickly, my heart still pounding from Eros.

"Just so you know, katsudon," Yuri panted, straining to recapture his stolen breath, "This was pretty much exactly what I'd planned for our first kiss."

"I'd say I'm sorry I ruined it again, but I'm still not. That was so amazing, Yuri." The look in his eyes was so far beyond adorable I dove back in for another taste, quietly nibbling my way along his soft jawline. Unbidden, memories of my first eros came to mind and I couldn't help but chuckle. "It's funny, but, you know what I thought when I saw Viktor skate Eros the first time?"

"I'm sure it was pathetic," he mumbled, not inaccurately. "But can you tell me off the ice? I'm literally freezing to the rink."

Oh crap. I scurried back onto my feet in a blind panic. "Oh! Sorry, so sorry! I didn't even think about the ice, I just...I really wanted...I'm sorry!"

Yurio screeched to halt at the barrier. "Oh god, she watched, didn't she?"

Oh yeah. Yuko. "I'm not sure when she showed up. I barely even remember her shrieking. That's how into your performance I was."

Yurio went bright red, a stark contrast with his pale skin. He stumbled through the gate. "Well, now you know how I felt when I watched you skate in China. I was so distracted I ended up sucking air through a straw for two minutes instead of juice..."

Really? I tried to see him in the break room at St. Petersburg drooling over me, but my brain pulled up a 404. "I never imagined I could have that effect on you," I said as I hauled an unsteady Yuko back into reality. "Anyway, back then...yeah, I guess it was pretty pathetic, but all I could think was that the eros was so overwhelming I thought I could get pregnant."

Yurio practically exploded into uncontrollable laughter. I felt my face, neck, and even my ears burning. Why did I tell him that? Why did I tell him anything, ever!

"Yurio, that was so beautiful," Yuko mumbled. He didn't seem to hear her.

"So, katsudon," Yurio said, smirking at me with a few drops of leftover eros. "Did I knock you up?"

Never again. Never, ever trusting him again. Still...he kinda did. "I know Viktor probably didn't have the extended amount of time to practice that you did, but you definitely out-erosed him. So...yeah, I guess you did."

A fiendish look crossed his face. Never, ever, EVER again, Yurio. "In that case, we may have another Onsen on Ice after all. This time, you can be the judge. What does the winner get, katsudon?"

My face heated to an impossible degree. "I-I guess that's up to you guys..."

"Oh, I know what I want," Yuri growled. The next thing I knew my back was against the wall. I felt Yurio's legs wrap tightly around me and I grabbed his waist instinctively. I could feel his excitement, taste a little blood as he dug into my lips. I didn't even care. My other hand was running through his hair as I fought back with equal passion. I don't know if he even remembered poor Yuko was there (she was probably still out of it anyway), but if he did it was less important than his needs.

The passion. That's my favorite thing about Yurio. About both of them, but where Viktor was tender, affectionate, and loving, Yurio was bestial, vicious, though his every action still dripped with love and want.

I didn't want him to stop. But I felt like I had to one-up him, somehow. He finally dropped to the floor, leaning against me. "Let me see if I can return the favor, then," I said, attempting to match his mischievous expression though my face still burned. "You borrowed that from Viktor, right? It should have Agape as well."

"What, you think you can do my program justice on a whim? I worked on Eros for weeks," Yuri said, sounding defiant, almost petulant.

"I guess we'll see. Hit play when I'm in position...kitten." I watched with immense pleasure as he shuddered. I thought the pet name was embarrassing, but it always had such an effect on him.

I skated out to the center of the rink. I looked down at the ice, hands at my side, and cleared my head of everything but my feelings for Viktor and Yurio. I didn't hear he music start, but it didn't matter. I was already gone.

My head was empty, my heart full of love. I threw myself into the step sequence with reckless abandon, knowing that Yurio would be there to take care of me. I let my body carry me through the piece as I imagined Yurio's record-shattering performance, the way he completely lost himself to it.

The only thought I dared to cling to other than the program was the stubborn desire to outperform Yurio with the final jump. It wasn't just competitiveness, but a way to show my love for him the same way I did for Viktor. I don't remember much of the program, just the way I felt during it. I came to a stop, hands raised towards the ceiling.

The first thing I heard was a choked sob. I hoped it was Yurio, but no, Yuko had returned to the world of the living only to be emotionally compromised again. "You both just skate so beautifully!" She sobbed.

"How was it?" I asked, probably sounding pathetic.

"It was alright, I guess," he mumbled. My disappointment must have been really visible because I saw a brief flash of panic behind his red, puffy eyes. "Okay, okay, it was amazing. Whatever. Don't let it get to your head, katsudon."

"I love how you can be so affectionate and then switch it right back off," I said. It came out sarcastically, but I kind of meant it. "How was it, really?"

Yuri pouted. Suddenly I realized that his eyes weren't that bloodshot after he did Eros. "It was...beautiful. I can't really think of any other way to say it. Just...know I'll be thinking about it for a long time."

He cried. Honest to god cried. He'd only done that before after his exhausting free skate in Barcelona, as far as I know. For Yurio to submit to any feeling other than love or anger was...not unheard of, but rare.

Now that I think of it, both of them are pretty terrible at expressing their sadness, and here I am crying every time a dog dies in a movie. Maybe it's a Russian thing.

"It probably wasn't half as good as yours," I said, somewhat apologetic. "The way you danced so erotically but with those elements of agape, plain as day...I don't think I could ever do that. So delicate and vulnerable, but sensual and confident."

A brief moment of surprise flashed across his face for some reason, but he recovered quickly. I made a mental note to ask about it later. "Yeah, I practiced it with Viktor for a while. It was hard work but...definitely worth it."

"I'll say," I smiled and led him back to the rink, half an idea formed in my head. I wanted to share something with him that only figure skaters could share, something Viktor and I shared in front of the crowds at Barcelona. We already knew each other's programs anyway. Stammi Vicino belonged to Viktor and I, but On Love belonged to both of us. Besides, Viktor would be ecstatic to see us making our own show to his music, and finding things that made them both happy was kind of my specialty. "Come on, let's try something together."


	5. Picnics and Piroshki

"There. That one. The one with the cats sitting around the moon," Yuri said, excited, practically leaping towards the rack. Yuuri, laden down with bags, followed on weary legs.

"Don't you already have that one?" He sighed, sliding into a chair.

"Obviously," Yuri scoffed. "This one's for you. I know you're a medium but I kind of want to get a large in case you get all piggly."

"Medium please. I don't plan on getting 'all piggly' again until I retire," Yuuri said, shaking his head.

Yuri grabbed the shirt with gusto, holding it up. Yuuri would look so damn cute in it. They could also look cute in it together. However excited he was, though, his method of expressing those thoughts was to say "You're gonna look like such a loser in this, katsudon. It's way better on me."

"So what you're saying is you want us to match?" Yuuri asked, smirking insufferably.

"Don't be stupid, piggy," Yuri grumbled, irritated at being found out so easily.

"Alright, then I'll be sure to not wear it when you do," Yuuri said with a dismissive shrug.

"No, you'll wear it when I tell you to wear it because it's cool!" Yuri fumed as the stupid piggy doubled over the chair in laughter. Whatever. Yuri would kick him for that, but he'd earned a reprieve after carrying all the bags. Just like last time, Hasetsu's tourist traps had proven to be a hotbed of cat-related fashion. Seriously, you could get anything with a cat on it, or in the shape of a cat, or with cat patterns or basically anything even remotely feline.

It was beautiful. Even better, not only was all the stuff from last time here, there was even more somehow. Good thing, too, since he'd bought all of it. This endorsement money was being put to good use. As they checked out for the fifth time that day, Yuri made a mental note to seek out some kind of cat food endorsement deal as soon as they were back in Russia.

"So, how many of these were for me again?" Yuuri asked as he was once again dragged into the market.

Yuri just rolled his eyes. "I don't know. Half? Honestly, I'm just using you for when I grow out of the ones I bought last year."

"Well then, I'm so very glad to be of service, Yurio." Yuuri laughed. It made Yuri feel all warm inside and he couldn't help but smile, no matter how hard he tried. That was just how Yuuri made him feel, and he...well, he didn't hate it.

Memories of the morning skate session still swarmed his mind. It was doubtful either of them could replicate that in an actual competition. With the pressure off, it was easy to be incredible alone in a familiar rink with only your boyfriend and pseudo-mother-figure watching. Still, he could watch Yuuri skate all day every day. He'd known that since Sochi.

Yuuri's idea for an On Love ice dance using parts from both songs kind of horrified him at first, but the more they had practiced the more he started to love it. Yuuri spent about half of the time planning it out and the other half on his ass. The first time he fell, Yuri sat on top of him, insisting that he stay on the ice until Yuuri's clothes were at least as damp as his own.

Other people actually came to skate eventually, so they finished up a few more moves and then went to write down more of their program in the changing rooms. They didn't want to risk word getting back to Viktor - so much so that they banished Yuko from the rink while they worked on it. They wanted to write the program themselves without him butting in with his own ideas.

Well, that was Yuri's reasoning anyway. That, and out-choreographing him for once. Yuuri, however, just wanted it to be a surprise. Six of one, really.

Back in street clothes, they went to the shops to get lunch, which was where Yuri had spotted the store that had his very favorite souvenir from Hasetsu (well, maybe his second, if Yuuri counted). That was where the quest for cat-related merchandise had started, when he bought a matching bowtie-ger for Yuuri. Six shops and five bags later, Yuri practically had an all-new wardrobe, some of them with matching pairs for Yuuri.

It was nearly dinnertime. Rapidly approaching sunset aside, Yuri could tell because of the increasingly-menacing growls emanating from Yuuri at regular intervals. "Can we eat now, Yurio? I think we've been to every store."

Right on cue. Yuri begrudgingly lightened Yuuri's load somewhat. The smile he got as a reward made him feel a little less stressed...but only a little. "Yeah, I have a plan for that too. Let's go drop this stuff off and get food."

"Where are we eating?"

"You'll find out, keep your piggy stomach in check!" Yuri snapped as he quickened his pace. This was probably the most elaborate part of his plan, requiring even more effort than Eros - something he'd been able to regularly over the last few weeks with absolutely no pressure. This particular part of the plan, however, had required a week of secret collaboration with mama Katsuki.

Back in Yuuri's room, they dropped all of the bags somewhat haphazardly. Viktor was supposedly out with Minako again, talking shop or something, which probably meant exchanging embarrassing stories about Yuuri. If that was the case, he actually kind of wanted to be there.

Yuri sank into the desk chair while Yuuri collapsed into the bed, apparently dizzy with hunger. "Do this is your geeky little sty, katsudon?"

"Yeah, I guess so. My poor computer is probably so lonely."

Yuri scoffed. Before he could come up with a withering retort, he spotted a pile of posters someone had left on the desk. Poster after poster after poster of Viktor Nikiforov. Yuuri probably had every single one that was ever sold or found in a magazine. Some of them weren't even in Russian, English, or Japanese, meaning that he had to order them specifically from whatever godforsaken country he could. "Wow, piggy, how obsessed were you?"

Yuuri, still exhausted and hungry, looked confused. Then confusion gave way to terror and he bolted to the desk, sending Yuri rolling across the room in his chair in his rush to dispose of the already-seen evidence. "Oh god why didn't I just burn these?! They're nothing but trouble I swear-"

"Don't do that, some of those are probably collector's items...assuming you haven't stained them with something," Yuri said between barely stifled chuckles.

Posters scattered everywhere when Yuuri grasped his meaning. It was practically raining Nikiforovs. "No no no no no it wasn't like that -"

"It so was!"

"I mean I didn't...I didn't do it on the posters," Yuuri mumbled pathetically as he sank to floor to start cleaning them up.

Yuri sat down too, offering the help. The posters were indeed stain-free. "He'd probably be offended if you hadn't enjoyed them, anyway."

Yuuri sighed. He'd probably reached peak embarrassment at this point and was completely numb. "He actually wants to bring some back with us."

"Absolutely none of them are allowed in the bedroom," Yuri groaned. "The last thing we need is him getting off to his own face."

"So, 'what, you mean like...JJ style?'" Yuuri asked, striking a familiar and much loathed pose.

Yuri recoiled. "If you ever do that again I'm going back to Russia. Hell, I'll go live in fucking Siberia if that's what it takes."

"Siberia is cold. You would need my body heat to survive." Yuuri said smugly. Yuri just rolled his eyes and shoved half a stack of posters at him.

"Never again, or no kissing for a week. Also, I'll kick you in my sleep."

"You kick me when you're awake."

"Exactly. You'll get twice as many kicks," Yuri groused. Yuuri placed the completed stack on the desk and turned back to him with a pathetic, weary grin.

Stupid katsudon. He looked so goddamn precious Yuri wanted to eat him alive. He settled for jumping into his lap instead, throwing his hands around Yuuri's neck and leaning him back into the desk for a quick kiss, and warm arms wrapped around him in response. The kiss broke and they sat there in silence a moment, foreheads together, eyes inches apart. That was his favorite thing about Yuuri. His eyes were always so full of love, and some amount of incredulity, as if he couldn't believe this was happening to him. Cute as it was, Yuri hated the thought of his katsudon not knowing he deserved the whole damn world and then some. He wanted to prove that every single day they were together.

The moment was ruined by another, even louder rumble from Yuuri's poor, malnourished stomach. This time Yuri's joined in too, like a toy poodle howling alongside a wolf. Yuri leaned forward to take a bite of katsudon, who yelped and then laughed nervously. "Please tell me it's food time?"

Yuri checked the clock. This distraction had made them slightly late. Running behind schedule was absolutely unacceptable. "Just about. Let's go!" He said, standing and hauling Yuuri through the door before he was fully on his legs. Mama Katsuki had come through, and a lovingly-prepared basket sat on the counter. Yuri grabbed it without breaking his stride, shouted his thanks (though in what language he was uncertain) and ran out the door.

"Yuri...Yuri the food's that way," a confused and hungry katsudon mumbled.

"I've got it. We're gonna eat it soon," Yuri said tersely, struggling to remember the way to go.

"Why is it not soon yet?"

"If you want to eat help me find the stupid river!"

"Does the river have our food?"

"Yes, katsudon, the river stole our food," Yuri growled. "I just want to go there, alright?!"

"Then you're going the wrong way," Yuuri said as he took control, dragging Yuri in the correct direction...apparently.

Yuri could hear the soft sounds of the waterfall they'd once been forced to meditate under nearby. It sounded a lot more relaxing when it wasn't freezing you to death. Yuri, realizing he'd never confronted Viktor about that nonsense, made a mental note to give him a solid kick when they got back to the inn. Once it was in sight, he immediately started hunting for a decent place to sit.

"Why are we here again?" Yuuri asked, perplexed. He looked almost lost.

Yuri didn't answer right away and kept looking around. At last he found somewhere relatively flat. As he set the basket down he suddenly felt nervous. "Turn around," he snapped at Yuuri, who complied.

Somewhat appeased, Yuri set down the basket. Inside, mama Katsuki had packed a blanket, cold drinks, even bug spray and sunblock just in case (which Yuri, utterly devoid of melanin, was quite grateful for). It all lay on top of a pair of boxes resting at the bottom. He quietly set everything up and, burning with shame, asked Yuuri to turn around at last. He didn't say anything right away, and Yuri was too busy staring determinedly into the distance to see his face. "Yeah, well, let's eat already," he mumbled, still refusing to look at Yuuri.

"You don't have to be embarrassed about things like this," Yuuri said gently as he sat nearby. "I really appreciate it. I promise I'll never make you regret putting yourself out there, alright?"

Yuri didn't - couldn't - form a response. He took the boxes out and handed one to Yuuri.

"You learned how to make bento boxes?" Yuuri asked, amazed, as he opened his. Inside, there were two rice balls made to look like piroshki, some veggies and a small serving of pork cutlets.

"Your mom did most of the work," Yuri mumbled, still staring at the water instead of Yuuri. "I mean, I insisted on doing most of the cooking, but she shaped the rice and did the packing."

"Yuri, this is amazing!" Yuuri exclaimed around a mouthful of rice and pork.

Yuri glanced back at him, and was somewhat emboldened at the reaction, though not enough to turn around. "Yeah, well, I just like to cook is all."

"I can't believe you made this pork!" Yuuri said through and even bigger mouthful. "It tastes just like mom's!"

Yuri shrugged it off. "Yeah, she taught me her recipe. Your dad helped taste test, too," he muttered, trailing off as Yuuri's eyes started to shine. Stupid katsudon was going to kill him. The pleasure was building in his chest until he thought it might explode.

"You know, behind all those walls, you really are the most thoughtful person I know," Yuuri said, leaning over to bury his face in Yuri's soft hair as he loved to do. "I feel so lucky I actually get to see this side of you."

"Ugh, shut up," Yuri growled. The bubble of happiness finally burst, and he leapt across the picnic spread, aggressively throwing himself into Yuuri's arms. He smirked at the sound of Yuuri's sudden exhale and snuggled up to eat his own box (which included actual piroshki in place of rice, of course). "I refuse to believe I'm 'sweeter' than lovey-dovey Viktor."

"Oh, he's almost dangerously sweet, but you knew that," Yuuri said, laughing as he reached for a bite. "As far as thoughtful, though...did I ever tell you about what happened before we kissed at the cup of china?"

Yuri shook his head and leapt to steal Yuuri's food, but came up short as the stupid katsudon had finally learned his tricks. Bastard. "Don't think so."

"I was freaking out, big time. I'd set the expectations so high with my short program I was convinced I would fail. Sometimes these little thoughts just get in my head, and when I can't shake them, they grow and grow and grow until it's all I can hear," he said, pensive as he finished and reached for more, this time feeding it to Yuri. "At the time it started with this little thought about how upset Viktor would be if I screwed up, then what if I missed the podium and made him look like an idiot, and how that would finally be the excuse he'd been looking for to leave."

"You could have kicked him in the groin with your skates and he still wouldn't have left you, stupid katsudon," Yuri teased. He laid his head on Yuuri's shoulder and let the sounds of the water, and Yuuri's soft voice, wash over him.

"I know that now. I knew it then, too, but...once those thoughts start to snowball, it's all I can think. All I can hear. Like the thoughts are buzzing around so much my head is just vibrating with them, and reality just doesn't exist any more outside of them," Yuuri fell silent. His heart had started to pound. Yuri grabbed his hand and snuggled in even tighter until it slowed. "Anyway, number one coach Viktor, completely clueless, hauled me out to the parking garage and tried to motivate me by saying he would quit if I missed the podium."

"The fuck?!" Yuri shouted, disturbing the local wildlife. "What a moron! Why did he think that would work?"

Yuuri just laughed and gave him another bite. "I still don't know. Obviously I burst into tears. He was panicking almost as much as I had been. Still, stupid as it was, we both ended up benefiting from it. He learned how not to handle a panic attack, and I ended up skating better than I had any right to after the release."

"You didn't do all that well, though," Yuri pointed out. "Except the quad flip."

"I hadn't slept the night before. Maybe an hour, at the most."

"You did a quad flip at the end of your free program on no sleep?" Yuri demanded, incredulous. Yuuri just offered a sheepish nod into his half-finished rice ball. "How the fuck did you not get gold in every tournament? You should have destroyed us with a proper night's sleep."

"I was just particularly motivated that time I guess. I wanted to show him up and please him at the same time. I guess it worked out considering we ended up kissing on live television."

"Yeah...I went from madly in love to just plain mad pretty quick that day," Yuri muttered.

"I didn't even think about that," Yuri said as he started to panic. "I'm sorry I brought it up at all!"

"It's fine. We've kissed a lot more passionately than that since we came here, after all," Yuri smirked, though inwardly he had still lost himself in the memory to some degree. Short tempered as he was, that moment was the second angriest he'd ever been, the first being the morning after their engagement. Most people get less angry when they sleep on things, but for Yuri they just seemed to...percolate. Happy as he was now, remembering the way he felt then was still troubling. Nonetheless, he was older, more mature, and madly in love. No memory could taint that.

Yuuri smiled, relieved but clearly still upset with himself. "Very true. I think my bottom lip is permanently swollen."

"That better not be keeping you from eating. I didn't slave over a hot stove all night for nothing, katsudon," Yuri teased as he grabbed a fresh piroshki for himself. Or so he thought. Yuuri, full of mischief and hunger, leaned forward before the bite made it to Yuri's mouth and stole it right out of his hand. He felt Yuuri's warm mouth close around his fingers, Yuuri's tongue making sure to taste them slowly in the process.

In an act of indignant revenge, the Tiger dove for Yuuri's neck, biting it viciously and leaving a dark red spot for later. He tasted even better than the food.

Yuuri shuddered. "If that was supposed to be a punishment, it wasn't all that effective," he said around a mouthful of food.

"It may have felt good but just imagine what the otaku trio will say when they see it," Yuri smirked as the color drained from his katsudon's face, making the spot glow all the brighter.

"I guess it's turtleneck season then," he mumbled as he swallowed.

"Absolutely not," Yuri growled directly into his ear. He took a taste of that, too, while he was in the neighborhood, and he was rewarded with another shudder. "I want everyone to see my handiwork."

"So you're marking me now?" Yuuri said with a chuckle as he glanced over at the vicious kitten snuggled against him.

"Your words," Yuri said, shrugging as he took a long drink.

"I...kind of like it," Yuuri said. "It also felt pretty amazing, so..."

"So do it more and everywhere I can get my teeth on. Got it."

"No no no! I mean...yes, but, please try to keep most of them where I can hide them!"

"I'll try. Now let's eat before the wildlife gets curious...then way I can shove you down on the blanket and have my way with you." The look on his face was priceless. No one could mingle utter terror and arousal quite like Yuuri Katsuki. Yuri moved directly into Yuuri's lap, flopping back against his chest in an aggressive and cat-like fashion.

Ultimately, the ravaging didn't happen, though not because they didn't want to. Sitting together, talking and feeding each other pork and veggies was more than enough. Perfectly timed as the rest of the day had been, they ended up finishing just as the sun began to set in earnest, allowing them to sit and watch it with the sound of running water behind them.

"I really love that you channeled all your rage into cooking, skating, and event planning for today," Yuuri whispered right into his ear.

"Ugh shut up already," Yuri whined. "Can't you just enjoy something without going on about how adorable I am or whatever?"

Yuuri just shook his head. "Nope. You're so sweet and adorable I can't help myself."

"Ugh! You know the deal. You're only allowed to say one disgusting, sappy thing, and even then only when I ask for it."

"What, you mean when you-"

"Tell me I'm pretty."

"Yeah, that-"

"No. Tell me I'm pretty. Now. And then shut up because I'm kissing you again."

Yuuri chuckled and pulled Yuri in even more tightly. "You're talented, strong, sweet, and pretty, and I'll call you all the disgusting sappy things I want."

Choking down the overflow of emotions, Yuri forced himself to sulk. "Fine. But only when I ask."

"Whatever you say, kitten," Yuuri teased. He pulled up his legs, trapping Yuri in a katsudon fortress.

"I hate you so much katsudon I swear to god!" Yuri growled as he started to squirm and flail, but Yuuri held him tight, laughing.

"Such an angry kitten!" He finally released Yuri with a kiss on the head. "It's just like when I pick up your actual cat."

Yuri, relishing his freedom, immediately pounced Yuuri onto the blanket as promised, sitting up and straddling him. "I was actually surprised she let you get that far. Even I can only get her to sit still for a few minutes when I hold her. I know it sounds dumb but...it was really important to me that she liked you."

"Nah, I completely understand pet-based superstition. Especially with cats," Yuuri said as his hands found Yuri's waist. "I'm sure Vicchan would have loved you, too."

"Makka does."

"He loves everyone."

"I guess so," Yuri conceded. He leaned over and started to slowly rock his hips, his face inches away from Yuuri's, savoring the look of arousal that immediately overcame him. "But this is what I love."

Yuuri's breaths became short and ragged as he started rocking more, sliding a cold and delicate hand up his shirt to play with Yuuri's chest. He kept his face just out of reach when Yuuri went in for a kiss. "Please Yuri," he whined. "Just kiss me already."

That was new. Yuri liked it. He liked it way too much. "Beg for it then."

"I am," he murmured. "Please. I need to taste your lips."

"You just want to taste the pork," Yuri teased, leaning tantalizingly close only to pull away from Yuuri's advance. "Try again."

"No, I want you," Yuuri choked out, digging into Yuri's hips harder and harder as he started to rock in time with. "Your lips. Your tongue. Your teeth. Please."

Yuri couldn't stop even if he wanted to. "Good enough," he whispered, barely able to contain himself as he dropped down to Yuuri, kissing him hungrily. Almost literally, it seemed, as he took bite after gentle bite from Yuuri's lips, face, and neck. He savored the taste every time. Meanwhile, Yuuri's wandering hands went from his hips up his body, eventually stroking his back and pulling Yuri closer and closer until their uncovered stomachs were flush with each other. The friction of flesh on flesh made everything even better and soon enough their torsos were exposed to the fresh spring air as they came together for warmth.

"You've gotten so good at this already," Yuuri choked out as his lips were released and his chest was suddenly being ravaged.

"Like you don't know how much I throw myself into practice," Yuri said between leaving fresh marks all over his katsudon.

"I've never been more grateful for it," he gasped as Yuri's teeth and tongue found more and more places to explore. Meanwhile, as one hand started running through Yuri's hair, the other started to slide down into his pants. Yuri froze, which caused Yuuri to do the same...and then panic. "Oh god I'm sorry I was just overwhelmed!"

"It's fine," Yuri mumbled. He made no effort to remove Yuuri's hand, though, and he leaned over for a gentle kiss. "I was...getting there too."

"So...do you just not want to, or-"

"Oh, parts of me really, really, REALLY do...as you can tell," Yuri said in a voice almost aching with want. "I just don't feel ready to go...all the way yet. I mean, I'm gonna do some other things to you tonight...not outside though."

"I know, I'm sorry," Yuuri said, blushing furiously, as he withdrew his hand. "It's like Viktor said. Eros is what makes you lose the ability to make rational decisions."

Yuri, finally finding his discarded shirt and jacket, snorted derisively. "Yeah, and your eros is katsudon, nerd."

"Not anymore," Yuuri answered. Yuri turned to look at him, brimming with curiosity, and saw Yuuri sitting up, still absent a shirt, lean muscles visible in the fading sunlight and a dazed look in his eyes.

"I hate you," Yuri grumbled as affection overwhelmed him.

Yuuri just laughed and found his own shirt. "I know, kitten. I know," he said, eliciting a quiet purr from Yuri. "What else do you have planned?"

"One more. I guess two, technically. Let's clean this shit up and get to the beach," Yuri said as he dragged a still half-dressed katsudon into his feet.


	6. Rings and Promises

"Hey, katsudon," Yuri said with a (loving) kick to the leg. "How much farther?"

"It's gonna be slower if you break my leg," Yuuri mumbled as he regained his footing. "But...it shouldn't be long now. I think I can hear it."

"Yeah, me too, I think," Yuri stayed quiet long enough to try and listen. Instead, he got distracted by Yuuri's inviting back and a terrible idea. "Hey, katsudon."

Yuuri had just barely enough time to manage an elegant "huh?" before he had just over a hundred pounds of Russian hanging off his back. He stumbled, but regained his footing and held the kitten there. "Why?"

Yuri smirked into Yuuri's back, obviously proud of himself. "I wanted a piggyback ride."

"Oh, god," Yuuri groaned. "How long have you been waiting for that one? I think Viktor's sense of humor is contagious."

Yuri was instantly offended. How dare Yuuri insult him by comparing his masterful humor to Viktor's...dad jokes? He dug in his heels like they had spurs. "Shut up and carry me!" He grumbled as he wrapped himself even more tightly around Yuuri, nuzzling into his shoulder.

"Violent outbursts and terrible jokes aside, I really love it when you get aggressively sweet," Yuuri said as he leaned his head into the soft blonde fluffball on his shoulder.

"Ugh, quit making me feel, say, and do lovey things."

"This coming from the person who planned a whole day together, spent a week learning how to cook my favorite kind of pork and nearly a month perfecting my old short program? I think you've got both of us beat in the romance department."

That made Yuri as irrationally happy as it made him nauseous. He buried his face deeper into Yuuri's shoulder in mingled love and shame. "Shut up and walk faster!"

"I can actually feel your face getting warmer. Just accept it, you're adorable...kitten."

"Didn't we just establish that you can only say things like that when I ask for it?" Yuri groaned.

"Sorry. I can't help it," Yuuri said sheepishly. "Really, I...still can't believe this is happening sometimes."

"What do you mean?"

He'd stopped walking. "It's just...I drunkenly dragged both of you into my life, which I only know of secondhand. I don't even know what you're doing with me half the time. Either of you. Maybe especially you. I mean, I've had time to accept how determined Viktor is to stay with me, although...you're just so young and beautiful and talented and I don't want to drag you down in the prime of your-"

"Katsudon," Yuri snapped. "When did you start thinking that shit?"

Yuuri started. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize at me, just answer me," Yuri said as gently as he could manage. He wasn't upset, but he could feel his concern and fear churning into aggression regardless.

"I've always thought it. Viktor talked me down on that first night, your birthday. I've been dealing with it, kind of, but today, with you being just...the best, really, and I've started thinking about it again," Yuuri's voice wavered. "Honestly I'm...kinda just waiting for the dream to end. To wake up and have all of this be in my head. I have since you fell asleep in my lap that first night."

"Don't," Yuri growled. "First of all, you didn't drunkenly drag us into your life. We just got to see a side of you we never would have known about, and then we got to know you as a whole person because of it. And second, if this is a dream and it ends, the first thing I'd do is go right to your goddamn house and have our first kiss all over again, and I'd do it over and over and over every time you woke up until you understood exactly how much I want to stay with you."

"Yuri-"

"And don't act like you're some weight dragging us down. Do you have any idea how much you've meant to both of us? I'd have never broken any kind of records or made any friends or even beaten Jean Jacques goddamn Leroy without you. Without either of you. Everything I've done has been for you as much as myself in one way or another. Every medal and every record was just to stay on your level. Everything I've learned, period, since I was just an angry fourteen year old who fell in love with your stupid step sequence. I also had Viktor's program and his weird motivation style and not to mention the good he did for you...so don't go around saying we're better off without you. We wouldn't be anywhere near as happy as we are without you. We'd be nothing without you, end of story," He felt a damp spot in his hair. And on his face. He blamed Yuuri for both.

"I'm-"

"Don't apologize. Please. I'm...actually begging you."

"Well, then, I...regret making you have to beg?"

Yuri laughed. "Stupid katsudon. You weren't kidding about the buzzing thing, were you?"

"Unfortunately not. I...I want you to know that I don't ever question your feelings. Or mine. I just-"

"I know. More than you'd think. Are you okay now?"

Yuuri nodded. "Moment's passed. I mean...it'll happen again probably. For what it's worth you talked me through it pretty well. Maybe a little less anger next time."

"Fat chance," Yuri said as he kissed his katsudon on the cheek. They walked in silence for a moment, enjoying the peaceful Hasetsu night. Yuri could definitely hear the waves now, but he still felt a little worried about Yuuri's nerves. Then a stupid idea popped into his head. "If we got married, how the hell would people tell us apart?"

Yuuri almost dropped him. "What?!"

"Watch it, katsudon!" Yuri mumbled as he dug his heels in again. "I meant like...we have the same names. So, would we both be Yuri Plisetsky or Yuri Katsuki? Or, Yuri Plisetsky-Katsuki."

Catching on to the joke, Yuuri laughed nervously. "Maybe we could trade. I'll be Yuuri Plisetsky."

"I don't want to be Yuri Katsuki! Gross. Maybe I can be Plisetsky-Katsuki, and you can be Katsuki-Plisetsky."

"Maybe we should all just be Nikiforovs..."

"Ugh! Even worse! Besides, then we'd just have two Yuri Nikiforovs."

"How about Yuri Plisetsky-Nikiforov-Katsuki and Yuuri Katsuki-Nikiforov-"

"Oh my god how is that different from what I said before?"

"It has Nikiforov in it?"

"Again, that's worse!"

"So we just keep our own names?"

"Then it's not a real marriage, piggy!"

"How about...Plisetskorovsuki?"

"That is a horrible mess and it doesn't solve our initial problem at all."

"I love it."

"Yeah. It's great."

They smiled at each other like idiots. Then they kissed again like even bigger idiots. "Thanks. I really should be happy that my actual life is so much better than any dream. I just don't know what I possibly could have done to deserve you."

"I can't believe you're making me say this," Yuri moaned. "Yuuri Katsuki...you deserve the whole goddamn world, and I'm gonna do everything I can to give it to you for as long as you'll have me. All you had to do to deserve that was be yourself. Anyway, shut up, we're here."

"That was..." Yuuri, eyes shining, seemed to be on the verge of saying something mushy again. Yuri growled a warning into his ear. "Thank you, kitten. For everything."

Yuri leapt off his back. He reached into his pocket and fumbled with the items inside. "Hey, so, I was gonna do this later but...I guess I want to show you what I mean so I never, ever have to say it again."

A confused Yuuri turned to look at him. Yuri strenuously avoided eye contact. "Yurio?"

"Shut - I mean, hang on," Yuri responded, calming himself as he pulled his hand out of his pocket. Resting on his palm were two fairly cheap souvenir rings, plastic with a leopard print pattern. "Just something to remember me by I guess. Not an engagement or anything. I just wanted to have something to...you know."

Yuuri smiled an absolutely perfect smile, the one where his eyes filled with love and he flushed slightly and Yuri could literally feel his heart growing three sizes. The one he reserved exclusively for Yuri and Viktor. The one he fell in love with. "Just for you, I'm not gonna say a word about it. I wont even use the s-w-e-e-t word. Or the c-u-t-e word."

Yup. That was it. Yuri's heart exploded. He was going to die on this Hasetsu beach with these cheap rings in his hands. He managed to choke out a "Thanks for nothing, katsudon."

Yuuri nodded. "Yup. I'm just gonna tell you you're pretty and hold out my hand."

He did so, but with his right. "Nope. Other hand. The one that's mine."

"I don't see your name on it," Yuuri chuckled as he raised it instead.

"That's why I'm doing this, moron," he said quietly as he grabbed Yuuri's hand. The ring finger seemed too formal. With a mischievous smile, he slipped the patterned ring on Yuuri's middle finger.

"Perfect," Yuuri said. He raised the ring to his lips, looking right at Yuri. "Do I put yours on now?"

Yuri put his own ring on. "No thanks, katsudon. None of that...serious shit," He looked into Yuuri's eyes, though, and raised his own ring to his lips. "There. Now you don't ever have a reason to doubt me."

"I still will," Yuuri said with a sad chuckle as he grabbed Yuri's hand again. They started to walk towards the beach. "Those thoughts don't always make sense. In fact they usually don't. But, even if my messed up head thinks this is all beyond me, deep down I always believe in us."

"You literally just promised me you'd cut out the sappy stuff," Yuri muttered. He still loved it. He felt his own resolve weakening, though, and he feared he couldn't fight the urge to tell Yuuri that he loved him and that he was so wonderful and beautiful and talented and determined and strong that it made him feel like the luckiest guy ever. Sure, he might throw up after, but the thought of letting these feelings out was getting intoxicating. Instead he let the cheap plastic rings on their fuck off fingers do the talking as he changed the subject. "Where the fuck is-"

"Hi!" Viktor, carrying a bag over his shoulder and dressed in Yuuri's blue peacoat, walked towards them down the street.

"Viktor?!" Yuuri gasped. "I thought you guys agreed on this or something."

"Yeah well, for one thing I did kinda feel like a dick for hogging the whole day, and for another I...kind of liked doing this with both of you last time. So I asked him to meet us here with those weird sparklers," Yuri whispered hurriedly. "Also if you tell him that I'm not kissing you ever again."

"You couldn't stop yourself if you tried," Yuuri chuckled. Yuri hid behind him as Viktor grabbed them both in a single hug. Yuri was incapable of returning it even if he wanted to, but that's what Yuuri Katsuki, professional hug buffer, lived for. "I missed you, Vicchan. It makes me really happy to see you two coordinating on these surprises."

"We can do anything if it's for you, Yuuri," Viktor purred.

"Ugh, I didn't ask you to come and be all gross," Yuri grumbled. "I've had more than enough of that today. I'm all out of feelings. Can we just do the stupid fireworks before I puke?"

Yuuri smirked. "You wouldn't even believe the sweet, lovey things he's said and done today."

"Oh my GOD I'm going to kill you with a sparkler-"

Viktor burst into laughter. "Oh Yurio, I always knew you had it in you."

Yuri fumed as the idiots laughed. Whatever. He meant every word and he regretted nothing. "Shut up and get the fireworks old man!"

"I'm so glad you want to do this again," Viktor said as he pulled them out with an enormous smile. "How has your day been, my lovely Yuris?"

Yuri stuck out his tongue as Yuuri blushed. "It's been amazing. Oh, Yurio bought something for you when we went shopping!"

"Really?!" Viktor asked, excited.

Yuri growled. "Yeah, well, your old man wardrobe needed an update, it's just a scarf. Don't get your granny panties in a bunch."

"He talks all tough, but he was really excited when he saw it," Yuuri teased. Yuri felt a mixture of embarrassment, affection, and blind fury. "Isn't he thoughtful?"

"Viktor seriously give me a sparkler already so I can murder-"

Viktor waved the empty threat away. "Ah, I figured that out last month when he asked me for help with Eros. I had a sneaking suspicion he wanted to perform for you."

"And why would you bring that up today?" Yuri asked with mounting suspicion.

"Well...I saw Yuuri packing his skates, so I may have asked Yuko to tell me what you were doing there," he answered with an apologetic smile.

"Ugh. Well, we know where the triplets get it from now," Yuri grumbled.

"I definitely want you two to give me an encore!" Viktor said excitedly. "Yuko said you both did almost as well as you did with your own programs. And for you to do Agape without any practice, Yuuri! I'm so proud."

"Oh, we'll show you for sure, Viktor," Yuuri said in a voice he probably thought was mysterious but was actually blatantly obvious. "Actually, I was thinking maybe you two should have an eros-off."

Viktor laughed his handsomest laugh. "I'll have to do some practicing, then. We can determine the winner based on audience blood loss."

"Assuming I don't shove this right up both your asses, fine! We can have the stupid skate off," Yuri growled as he snatched a sparkler for himself with one hand and Yuuri's arm with the other.

He still hated the sound, but at least he was used to it now. The three of them ran around creating trails of light like last time as all three of their phones filmed it for posterity. Viktor spent most of the time tracing hearts around Yuuri or, when he could catch him, Yuri. Yuri himself was mostly just drawing dicks and rude gestures, but he couldn't help but trace a heart or two into the air around Yuuri, or even (ugh) writing the initials of Yuri Plisetsky-Katsuki in the air before him.

Still, he mostly spent the time watching Yuuri, who, free of anxiety for the moment, lost himself in some kind of dance to music only he could hear. He wasn't drawing anything like the other two, but rather throwing himself into what was essentially a half formed short program. As Yuri observed, at first hoping it was a sneak preview of next year's program, he realized that it was actually choreography for their pair skate.

He could almost hear the music now. The steps looked grueling, but since it was Yuuri, they were beautiful as well. These steps weren't just the one Viktor had choreographed, but something new Yuuri had developed on the same framework. If he kept working at it, Yuuri could be as skilled a choreographer as he was a skater - not surprising, Yuri thought, given his talent for step sequences.

As the lights died down, he realized he had been standing still, entranced by Yuuri's beauty again like he had last time. Stupid sexy katsudon. Once they were back in the onsen there would have to be some sort of punishment for this.

They just sat on the beach for a good while after that, reminiscing and planning for next season. Yuri lay on his katsudon's lap while Viktor held him, leaning against the pier. It was their usual arrangement, Yuuri in the center getting all the love he deserved. Yuri didn't even mind Viktor bumping into him or even holding him as well, within reason. Only Yuuri was allowed (encouraged) to pet him, though.

Comfortable as he was, Yuri really wanted to get to that hot spring before they had to sleep. More so now that he was all sandy and smelled of the sea. "Let's go katsudon, I want to get a soak in before we get to bed."

Yuuri nodded. "Are you coming, Vicchan?"

"I spent half the day there! You enjoy yourselves, and I'll be in bed waiting for my Yuris," Viktor said as he wrapped them both in a hug.

"Ugh, gross," Yuri grumbled. He stayed in the hug nonetheless. "Let's go already!"

They walked back to the inn together on that dark and quiet Hasetsu evening. Viktor kept sneaking kisses at whatever part of Yuuri he could manage to kiss, prompting Yuri to respond with a gentle nibble on the other side. Yuuri just squirmed, trapped between them as they refused to let him escape in any way until they had covered every exposed inch of him.

"You guys are ridiculous," Yuuri sighed as they arrived.

Back in the well-lit in, Viktor finally noticed the new rings. "Ooh, what's this?" He asked, holding up Yuuri's hand and casting an eye over Yuri's.

"Another surprise of Yuri's. He wanted us to have a physical bond...or so I think. He didn't say," Yuuri said as he turned to smile at the suddenly fuming kitten.

"It's not a big deal," Yuri murmured. "They're cheap, they're cool, and now I have something to look at. And flip people off with."

Viktor just laughed. "I see what you mean, Yuuri. He is an adorable kitten."

"Fuck off!" Yuri grumbled. Viktor laughed again and tried to steal a hug, prompting a brief game of ring around the Yuuri.

"Oh, fine! I'll get you in bed, little cat," Viktor purred. He fave Yuuri a kiss on the forehead as he left. "See you both soon!"

Yuri stomped towards the onsen. "I swear to god if he calls me a kitten again I'm gonna tear up his favorite scarf...then we'll see how much he likes cats..."

"I don't think he's gonna stop anytime soon," Yuuri chuckled, following him. "You should probably learn to adjust."

"Never," Yuri lied. Hard as it was for him to admit for himself he'd grown to like Viktor's doting, he would never admit it to Yuuri...especially not if he told Viktor. Still though, kitten was Yuuri's name for him. Viktor was gonna have to get his own damn pet name. He barged into the onsen showers, mercifully deserted at this late hour.

"So do you till want your private bathing room?" Yuuri asked as he entered. Coming from anyone else, it would have been sarcastic or otherwise teasing, but Yuuri was just too goddamn sincere.

Yuri answered by immediately starting to undress. "Like we haven't been in naked in front of each other before," He scoffed. That was one thing about the trip to Hasetsu he knew he would never forget. Even after all the bitching about refusing to bathe in front of people, he'd jumped at the chance to soak his battered and weary body in the spring with Yuuri. Mercifully he'd been too tired (and busy agonizing over eros) to notice Yuri's furtive glances. Though he'd seen Yuuri in various states of undress, seeing him looking so beautiful but masculine, fragile yet strong in the onsen, battling his insecurities, had been almost too much. It was almost a relief Viktor's goofy ass had walked in demanding nude photos. What a dork.

They were undressed now and rinsing for the spring. Yuri was absurdly grateful for Japan's whole comfortable nudity thing now. He'd felt awkward last time, hating the idea of being vulnerable in any way, shape, or form, hiding himself from Yuuri as much as possible even as he let his own eyes wander. As much as he'd hidden himself then, this time he was actively trying to show off. It helped his confidence somewhat that he was considerably farther along development-wise than last time, though still just as much of a late bloomer.

He ran a hand through his perfect hair, looking over at Yuuri. He caught the edge of a stare, causing Yuuri to panic slightly and turn back to his own shower. "What are you doing, katsudon?"

"S-sorry I was just looking at your...hair. It just looks nice. I was distracted," Yuuri stammered.

"Bullshit," Yuri said. He grabbed Yuuri's shoulder. "You were definitely looking at the rest of me."

"N-no-"

"Katsudon, the only problem I have is that you stopped," Yuri purred, eliciting a shudder and a bright red face from his partner. "Now help with my back so I can get yours."

Yuuri's embarrassment faded into affection. "That sounds nice," he said as he turned towards Yuri. It was funny how young Yuuri looked in casual clothes, even in his workout clothes. The only times he ever looked his age were when he had his game face on before a skate and when he was naked. Yuri felt his head swimming a bit before he turned around. At first he felt warm water and a sponge, but soon enough Yuuri dropped it, opting instead to run his bare hands over Yuri's smooth skin. Every fingertip sent an electric shock running along his spine.

"Having my back washed really should not feel this good," Yuri half moaned, half growled.

"Backrubs are one of the other things I'm not completely terrible at," Yuuri said. He ran a finger up Yuri's spine for emphasis.

"If that's the case, I'm going to be investing in a large drum of massage oil soon," Yuri purred. He felt Yuuri's arms wrap around his slender waist, felt Yuuri's face next to his, the warm body behind him and palpable excitement growing at his back. He wanted to stay there forever, but quietly slipped away. "Your turn, katsudon."

He tried not to look down until Yuuri had turned with some success. Of course, one he was facing away, Yuri took a long, loving look at his backside, as one does when presented with a fine specimen. He willed himself to save the affection for the onsen proper as he attempted to replicate Yuuri's motions. One way or anther he was going to learn those tricks.

They successfully restrained themselves, though Yuri had definitely taken more than a few moments rather unnecessarily washing Yuuri's ass, much to his chagrin. Yuri had insisted he was just being thorough.

Yuuri sank into the steamy water first, lying back against the wall. "After all that walking and carrying all your shopping, this was a perfect way to end the night."

Yuri smiled at the sight of him resting there, naked, beautiful, and loving as ever. "Don't know what you're talking about, katsudon. I feel fine."

"You didn't carry anything," Yuuri pouted. He held out his arms. "Get in with me already!"

"I'm working on it katsudon, keep your pants...off?" Yuri answered. He slid in at last, enjoying the water for a moment before he pressed his back up against Yuuri's chest and sat in his lap. Yuuri's arms wrapped around him, his face in Yuri's hair. "This is the best. I can't figure out how you just lived like this for your whole childhood."

"There was a lot more work to do back then," Yuuri said. Then, seemingly unable to stop himself, he started to kiss at Yuri's neck and shoulder. "There were also a lot less beautiful Russians, so I definitely am not yearning for the good old days or anything."

Yuri turned his head to the side and grabbed Yuuri's cheek, forcing their lips together for a lengthy, passionate kiss. Yuri refused to let him back out of it until he'd had his fill. He loved the sensation of Yuuri's excitement, the way the kiss became even more desperate and passionate, which was right when he would stop to keep things from going any farther. Not so this time. He wasn't going to break the kiss until they absolutely had to.

This whole day together had been everything he'd ever dreamed since the night after the Sochi banquet. He hadn't managed to win Yuuri's affections with a dance-off, maybe, but he'd won out in the end, somehow. Somehow that beautiful dancer with the perfect step sequences and the golden heart of spun glass had found room for him, and he couldn't possibly be happier. So happy he could choke on it.

He found himself turning around, straddling Yuuri again and still kissing him. At this point they were both fully into it, digging into each other with love and passion. A few moments later he was (somewhat) subconsciously grinding into Yuuri, seemingly unable to control his own hips as they pressed flush against each other. He finally broke the kiss and pulled back, his arms wrapped around Yuuri's neck. Panting, flushed, and brimming with arousal, Yuuri had never looked more beautiful. He leaned in until their foreheads touched, looking deep into Yuuri's incredibly expressive eyes, their lips inches apart.

"I love you, you idiot," Yuri mumbled. The words were out of his mouth before he was even aware he was saying them.

In fact, he was so convinced he'd kept those words tightly locked in his head and heart that he was shaken to his very core when he heard Yuuri respond with "I love you too, Yuri."

Yuri thought his heart might explode. The sensation was beyond overwhelming, and he all but threw his face into Yuuri's shoulder to hide his face. "Sorry," he grumbled into the soft skin.

"Why?" Yuuri asked, puzzled, as he pulled Yuri in even more tightly.

"What I said. I mean, I meant it, but I didn't mean to say it...out loud." Yuri kept his face hidden. He was surprised he could speak so clearly around the overflowing emotions.

"I'm glad you did," Yuuri said, voice thick with affection. His hand caressed the soft, pale skin of Yuri's back. "How long have you been saying it in your head, then?"

"Shut up," Yuri growled.

"You can tell me, kitten," Yuuri said soothingly. He lowered his hands until they were just barely above Yuri's hips.

"Don't know. I was kind of just trying to bury it in hostility. I guess..." Yuri wracked his memories. He knew it had been at least once before they started dating. As he tried to remember, the sounds of his On Love short program came flooding in, and he remembered. "In Barcelona. When I broke the record. I kind of blanked out during it, but, I remember that was when I finally accepted it. I think that was the first time. I kinda buried it again after I won and...yeah, the last month, it's been pretty much constant."

"Your emotions are always so...intense. I really appreciate it," Yuuri said as he leaned Yuri forward so he could see him properly. He reached up to stroke Yuri's cheek. "Even when it's anger."

Yuri leaned into Yuuri's hand and met it with his own. "Good. Because it usually is. Now shut up and soak. I've done enough running my stupid mouth off today."

"Now there's something I never thought you would admit," Yuuri chuckled. In protest, Yuri turned back around and threw his back against Yuuri's chest somewhat aggressively. They sat in relative silence for nearly an hour before they retired to the room.

Waiting for them in bed was a peacefully snoozing Viktor, who had fallen asleep with his new (tiger stripe) scarf on, Makkachin held tightly to his chest.


	7. Pain and Pleasure

Yuri awoke with his feet aching to the point he wasn't sure he could walk anymore.

After their first week in Hasetsu, a week of peace and rest, Viktor and Yuri were both desperate to get back to practice. Yuuri was less enthusiastic about it, but knew that it was inevitable. Yuri had spent the entirety of the first day on Skype with a very irritated Lilia who had ultimately failed to force him to come back to St. Petersburg and then spent the rest of the day a) exhaustively covering his choreography and b) browbeating Viktor into running him ragged during practice, a promise he was entirely eager to make (that prick).

This tentative version of his new program was grueling - yet not grueling enough, in Yuri's opinion. If he was going to beat Yuri, Viktor, and JJ, he was going to have to add even more quads. Tano jumps wouldn't be enough, and he lacked the stamina to push them all to the second half. Lilia, Yakov, and even Mila had all made him promise to never do that again after he damn near died last time. He'd ignore them, but now he had Yuuri as a reason to stay safe and healthy.

Speaking of which, Yuuri had been making an extraordinary effort to continue choreographing their pair skate after regular practice. It was a lot of work for both of them to stick around after Viktor left for the onsen, hence the horrendous pain in all of his joints from his ankles to his toes.

It was worth every goddamn ache.

Come to think of it, his body had been aching everywhere for the last week. Not entirely unsurprising, but it was still odd for him to be aching in areas that never got a workout during standard practice. He wrote it off as exhaustion.

The alarm went off. Yuri didn't think he'd slept more than an hour with the pain. He groaned in time with the whining alarm as he reached over Yuri and Viktor to grab the bastard and throw it into the wall. It caught a break though as Viktor beat him to it and disabled the alarm peacefully instead. He then rolled over and flopped on Yuuri even as Yuri did the same.

Yuuri groaned pitifully. He'd get no sympathy from either partner. It was his own fault he'd stayed up until 2 AM playing goddamn Overwatch.

It was still cute as fuck though. "Get up katsudon. We've got shit to do."

"Yes, my sleeping beauty, the ice calls to us," Viktor cooed.

Yuri gagged and stuck his tongue out an unapologetic Viktor. "Hurry before he comes up with more of those, for the love of god."

Yuuri just grumbled again and buried his face deeper into the pillow.

"I think it's time to bring out the emergency plan, Yurio," Viktor said with deadly seriousness.

Yuri's response was more sinister. "I've got the left."

They both dove onto Yuuri, rapidly kissing (in Yuri's case, damn near biting) him along every inch of their respective sides. He squirmed and groaned pathetically the whole time, then burst into exhausted laughter as they reached areas he was incredibly ticklish. He had a lot of those.

It still didn't seem to be enough. Hell, at this point he was probably just perfectly willing to stay in bed so they kept doing it.

An even more wicked idea formed in Yuri's head. He slowly kissed (nibbled) his way down Yuuri's side until he was just barely above the ample hindquarters that so often captivated him. Then he reared back, and the tiger pounced onto his left cheek, teeth first.

Yuuri seemed to leap across the room as he yelped, not unlike the sound Makka made when you stepped on his tail. Of course, it was nearly impossible to hear over the sound of Viktor and Yuri's raucous laughter. "Yurio, what was that?!" Yuuri demanded as he rubbed his cheek.

"I bit you on the ass. What else is there to know?" Yuri asked innocently. "In fact, I kind of loved it. Your ass is delicious in a literal, figurative, and tactile sense."

Viktor laughed as Yuuri's entire body seemed to flush. "Goodness, I'll have to give it a try someday. Especially since it gets you up so quickly. In more ways than one," he said with a furtive glance at Yuuri's crotch, which was quickly covered by both hands.

"You guys are the worst," Yuuri whined pitifully.

"You love it. And you loved that," Yuri purred as he leapt from the bed and wrapped himself around Yuuri's currently still-bare waist.

"Maybe..." he muttered as Viktor came up behind him.

"Let's save some for later boys, we have work to do," Viktor said with the barest hint of coaching authority. "Yuuri, we need to work on your quadruple flip more if you're going to use it consistently, and Yurio, Lilia has enlisted Minako to observe your practices and correct your posture."

"Ugh, you're not my coach," Yuri grumbled.

"Yakov has deputized me," Viktor said proudly. "I have no intention of going easy on you. You need to maximize that potential."

"Bite me, old man."

"Well, that would be an appropriate and quite possibly ironic punishment, wouldn't it?" Viktor said with a wink.

Yuuri laughed. "Oh, yes. That's definitely happening. Watch your back, Yurio."

"Fine by me," Yuri said as he leveled a challenging glare and a smirk at Yuuri, which, to his surprise, was met with an equally intense stare. They got dressed with minimal playful ribbing and groping thereafter, though Yuri definitely planned to get another bite out of Yuuri ASAP.

On the way to the rink, Yuri's feet started to absolutely murder him. He could barely walk, and he didn't want to pounce on Yuuri's back again because he knew Yuuri had to be equally exhausted. There was also no way in hell he was going to admit to it, so he ended up walking on the outside of his feet. That still didn't help the aching in his bones.

After what seemed like hours, they were finally there. He slouched into the changing room and dropped directly onto a bench, throwing his shoes across the room and rubbing his feet.

Yuuri looked down at him, confused. "Are you okay, Yuri?"

"You know how it is. We're figure skaters and you and I also do ballet. Our feet are literally never okay, in any capacity," Yuri grumbled. "I've dealt with worse."

"Please don't push yourself, okay?" Yuuri asked as he laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Alright, mom," He growled. He heaved himself onto his aching feet.

"How did you out your skates on so quickly?" Yuuri asked, eyebrow raised.

Yuri looked at his unopened bag, which still held his skates. "I didn't," he said slowly. "Are you sure you're okay, katsudon?"

"I just thought...well, you're above eye level with me. Maybe the floor is uneven," Yuuri said, confused, tilting his head to look at Yuri.

He was right. Yuri stepped over the bench and pushed him against the wall. "Viktor, who's taller?" He demanded as he flattened his own back against the wall, pinning a very confused Yuuri next to him with an outstretched arm.

Viktor, his own skates in hand, gave them a curious look. He examined them, and laid his hand on Yuuri's head, flattening his hair. "Yurio. Not by much, but Yurio is taller," he said with growing excitement. "Our little kitten is becoming a cat!"

"Fuck off," Yuri grumbled as he released the piggy back into the wild. Still, he couldn't help but boast a little bit. "Well, katsudon, I guess I get to be the big spoon now."

"You can't both big spoons," Yuuri muttered pathetically. He flopped onto the bench and started unpacking his skates.

"Aw, don't feel bad, katsudon. Or should I just say cutlet? A cute little cutlet," Yuri teased, mussing Yuuri's hair.

"Come now, Yurio, no need to be cruel," Viktor chided. "I'm still the tallest, after all."

"Yeah, well, old people shrink," Yuri growled.

"You should be a little more worried, anyway," Viktor continued as he sat to lace his skates. "We'll have to tell Minako you've had another growth spurt. We may have to change your program."

Shit. He'd been so distracted he'd forgotten that particular detail. Every centimeter was a potential death sentence to his career. Yuri's amusement faded into terror, which was an emotion he couldn't really process, so it turned into rage. "Fuck!" He shouted, throwing himself onto the bench and shoving his bag into the wall contemptuously. "Fuck this! I thought I had a couple of years before I had to deal with this...or maybe that it wouldn't happen at all, it's taken so damn long."

Yuuri laid a hand on his leg. "We can work through it Yuri. Viktor and I had to do it once too. That's why I started my senior career so late. Even Viktor didn't win a single gold between seventeen and twenty-two."

"Ah, yes, the dark period," Viktor said in what passed for a gloomy voice (so, slightly less cheerful). "Yes, Yuri, we're here for you, and Minako should be well versed in dealing with this after Yuuri. No matter what you'll come back from this."

"Not everyone comes back!" Yuri snapped, and he threw his shoes across the room. "You know how many juniors and young seniors completely lose their careers when their bodies grow out of skating shape?"

"Not many," Yuuri said softly. He quietly rubbed Yuri's back, but he flinched away from the touch.

Yuri dropped his head into his hands. "Even one is too goddamn many. The worst thing is I can't practice my way out of this one. If nature fucks me, it fucks me, and I can't do a goddamn thing!"

"You need to let us know if you're having growing pains next time so we can prepare," Viktor chided, earning him a burning glare from Yuri and an annoyed one from Yuuri. "Oh, sorry. Listen, why don't you take today off and speak with Minako and Lilia?"

"Fuck off! You're not helping, and I don't want to miss any practice!" The tiger roared. Viktor raised his hands in self-defense, but he did head out to the rink after briefly resting a reassuring hand on Yuri's shoulder and exchanging a knowing glance with Yuuri.

"It's probably a good idea," Yuuri said gently. "You have been pushing yourself a lot lately."

Yuri leaned onto Yuuri's shoulder, feeling the rage seep out of him as he enjoyed the warmth. "This timing sucks. You're going to have to change your choreography, too."

"Can't do that until we see what change has happened, if any, in your style with this latest growth spurt," Yuuri said, still calm, holding Yuri close. "You can do anything I plan for you, I know it."

"For someone who freaks out a lot, you're oddly good at talking people down," Yuri mumbled. He wrapped his arms around Yuuri's waist and held him there like he would have done when he was an entire head shorter. "Where does that talent go when you're panicking?"

Yuuri chuckled. "Like I said, rationality kind of goes out the window. Doesn't matter if I know what I'm thinking is nonsense, it seems real to me, and I can't talk myself down. Still, by now, I guess I have a pretty good idea on how to get others out of it..."

"Can I at least go out and see if my jumps are affected?" Yuri half-begged. If Yuuri wanted him to stay off the rink, he'd do it...for one day. But he had to at least try and resist.

Yuuri shook his head. "Tomorrow. Your head isn't in it, for one thing, and the growing pains wouldn't be helpful for another. Not to mention how hard we've been working."

"Well, I'm not going home. Not alone."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Yuuri said with a smile as he slid his skates on. "Call Lilia and Yakov. Then you can talk with Minako while we skate, alright?"

"Whatever you say, tiny, tiny katsudon," Yuri smirked. At least there was one thing to take out of this tragedy.

"That's the spirit," Yuuri said with a roll of his eyes. With that, he left, a still aching and worried Yuri at his heels.

As Yuuri headed out onto the ice with Viktor for what was sure to be a stunning display of both skating prowess and disgusting flirting, Yuri plopped dejectedly into the stands and called Yakov.

The old bastard answered fairly quickly, his nigh-constantly beet red face appearing on Yuri's screen. "Yurachka! If you're calling me at lunchtime, that means you should be practicing. What are you doing?"

"Watch your damn blood pressure! I had another growth spurt," he growled. The moment of panic that flashed across Yakov's face was hardly reassuring. "Not sure exactly how much changed but...it may be a big one."

"You should take the day off then, just today, and work on your choreography. And I don't want to hear any exc-"

"I am!"

"Listen to me, it's important to...wait, what did you say?" A deeply perplexed Yakov stared back at him, face fading from purple back to red.

Yuri narrowed his eyes. "I said I'm already doing that, Yakov. I'm not an idiot."

"Nonsense! I've never gotten you to take a day off. I yell myself hoarse and have to call in Lilia. This must be serious," Yakov grumbled, looking concerned again.

"Shut up! Japanese Yuuri talked me into it, alright?"

Yakov shook his head with half a smile. "You know, I was mad at first-"

"Duh..."

"-but that boy has been a godsend for both of you. Not to mention he actually listens to me and Vitya. Now, he can be just as stubborn as you when it comes to taking it easy, but he listens when it matters. You could learn a thing or two from him."

"I have! Just shut up and get Lilia already!" Yuri yelled, and he saw Yakov flinch away from the phone.

From offscreen, he heard Lilia speaking in stern, hurried Russian. "Give me the phone this instant, Yakov," Yakov shot a last annoyed look at Yuri before giving the phone to Lilia, whose unmoving face fixed its perpetual glare on Yuri. "Why did you call? Have you met with Minako? I won't hear any complaints. I assure you she is more than competent. I've been on several of the councils that considered her for awards."

"I grew again," Yuri said, wondering how many more times he would have to confess this most heinous crime. "Not too much, I don't think, but enough to hurt all week."

Mercifully, Lilia's reaction was much more stoic than Viktor or Yakov. "Very well. We shall incorporate this into your choreography. I will consult with Minako and Viktor tomorrow after they see you practice."

"Yes, whatever you say," Yuri said obediently. Lilia was one of only three people in his life that received little to no abuse or disrespect of any kind, the others being Otabek and his Grandfather. That was just how much he respected them.

Also, they were all kind of terrifying.

Lilia nodded. "Very well. And...I am sure you can persevere, Yuri. You are strong. Stronger than your slight form would imply, and everyone who meets you knows this. Do not let it overwhelm you."

Verbal praise from Lilia? This must be really goddamn serious. It should have made him ecstatic, but instead he was more worried. "Thank you, Lilia. I look forward to the program changes."

She offered only a stern nod. Behind her, Mila caught a glimpse of the screen. "Is that Yurio? Hi, Yurio! We missed you!"

"That's not my name, hag!" He shouted, hoping she could hear.

Lilia's glare intensified. "We do not use unattractive words, Yuri Plisetsky. Speak with Minako and watch Viktor and Yuuri practice. Goodbye."

She didn't even wait for a response before hanging up. Yuri dropped his phone in the stands and, after watching Viktor skate past Yuuri and stealing a brief kiss, laid down on the bench to sulk.

Not long after that, he felt someone prodding at him. He swatted the hand away and sat up to see a somewhat disheveled Minako looking at him. "You're late," He growled. "And I'm not even skating today."

"Hangover," she said, waving her hand as if that was a perfectly reasonable explanation. "What happened? You aren't injured are you?"

Yuri shook his head. He wasn't saying it again. "Lilia said she would call tomorrow. Don't worry about it," he turned towards the rink again, where Yuuri, momentarily alone as Viktor snuck off to the changing rooms, was practicing some steps for their pair skate.

"I guess I'll just watch for a bit, then," she said as she made herself comfortable, leaning back into the stands and refusing to leave Yuri to his thoughts. This might be a long day. "I still can't believe Lilia Baronovskya asked me to help you. I only met her in person once at an award ceremony, but she said she wanted me to personally look after you. First Yuuri meets Viktor, and now this! Is everyone in Hasetsu going to meet the Russians of their dreams?"

"Whatever," Yuri grumbled in response.

"Viktor told me you and Yuuri were a thing now," Minako said, leaning forward to study his face even as Yuri tried to cover as much of it as possible with his hair. "I don't quite get it, but I've never seen him so happy. I don't have to give you the mama bear speech, do I?"

"Well, Viktor has a fat mouth, but yeah," Yuri answered, turning away. "What the hell is a mama bear speech?"

Minako poked him again until he turned, and she had a semi-serious expression. "The 'if you hurt Yuuri I will murder you' speech."

"Not going to happen," he said firmly. "Not once, not ever."

She seemed satisfied. "Good. By the way, the choreography Lilia sent was stunning. Pretty hardcore too. Are you excited?"

Yuri felt his stomach sinking. God only knew how much it was going to have to change after he went back to practice. "I guess. Still not sure it can beat those losers or JJ."

"It can't, but maybe you can," she said simply. "Don't get me wrong, I'm rooting for Yuuri first, but that doesn't mean I would be happy if you two fell behind. I expect all three of you on that podium, alright?"

Yuri sulked. He wasn't even sure he could qualify this year if his stupid body kept screwing him. "Whatever. Why don't you just call Lilia already?"

"Oh, no way, I couldn't bother her during the day for no reason. She's prima ballerina assoluta," Minako said, waving the answer away like a troublesome fly.

"She said she'd call you after practice tomorrow," he said, smirking slightly. "Fair warning so you don't die of fright."

"Ha ha, Yurio," she rolled her eyes. "Working with you is gonna be a huge pain, isn't it? Yuuri was stubborn too, but at the end of the day he was still a sweetheart."

"Yeah," he said wistfully, still staring at Yuuri as the steps of agape and eros flowed into one another. He hadn't seen that step before. It seemed Yuuri was already trying to adjust for Yuri's sudden change.

"Was that a yes to you being a pain, or to Yuuri being a sweetheart?"

Yuri shrugged. He didn't take his eyes off Yuuri until practice was done.

Feeling guilty, he and Viktor decided to scrap afternoon practice and stay with Yuri - over Yuri's strenuous objections. He was determined not to drag them down with him. Still, the idiots were just as determined to keep him comfortable, so they ended up back at the inn, collapsed on Yuuri's bed, the two younger ones gaming as Viktor flipped through posters, then Instagram once he had picked the ones coming home with them.

Yuri noticed him holding up his phone. "Are you going to post us sitting here playing a video game? Yakov will murder you."

"Oh, like he's going to check Instagram," Viktor said dismissively. There was a flash and a snap, then tapping as Viktor typed up some lame caption. Not five minutes later, his phone started to vibrate. "...oops."

Yuri couldn't help but smirk. "Told you. Mila probably ratted on you."

"Oh well!" Viktor refused the call and started scrolling his feed again. "I'm sure he's used to it by now. By the way, Yuuri, Phichit has already liked and commented on our picture with half a dozen new hashtags."

Yuuri laughed. "You know he has your account set to send him notifications, right?"

"He never comments on pictures of me, though!" Viktor whined, affronted.

"Yeah, he just likes seeing pictures of us together. You should hear him squeal when you post one."

"Wait a minute," Yuri growled. "Was that the first picture of all three of us you've posted?"

Viktor stroked his chin thoughtfully. "No, but...it probably is the first one of all of us sitting around intimately like this. Oh, hey, I can see you two holding hands in this one, now that I think of it..."

On cue, every single one of their phones started to ring. "For fuck's sake, Viktor," Yuri sighed. "You may have just put half the world's skater fangirls into the hospital."

Viktor only offered an innocent shrug. "Oh, it's Chris! Wow, he almost never calls. He's a texting machine."

Yuuri looked at his. "Yuko. Or, more likely, the triplets. I should probably answer before they invade the inn."

Yuri looked at his own phone. It was Mila. He couldn't recall giving her his number, but the fact that she had it was not surprising in the least. "Should we just turn our phones off?"

It was too late. Viktor was already gossiping with his old fuck buddy (probably), while the triplets' shrieking could probably be heard through the whole inn. For his part, Yuri just answered Mila and said "We're dating, get over it." After that his phone stayed off for good.

For at least the next hour, Yuuri and Viktor continued to answer their phones - Yuuri getting his own call from Chris, as well as one from Celestino, Georgi, Mila (unsatsifed with Yuri's terse answer), and even some Japanese commentator that was weirdly obsessed with him, Morooka or whatever. He then called Phichit of his own accord to offer a halfhearted complaint, only to be dragged into a lengthy discussion of their relationship. Viktor spent most of his time on the phone with Chris, promising more and filthier details, but most of the calls were from retired skaters and even some particularly determined fans.

In the end, they turned their phones off as well. It was silent for a moment before Yuri spoke up with another "For fuck's fucking sake, Viktor!"

Viktor just smiled. "You both looked adorable! I regret nothing."

"I'm not exactly relishing dealing with all this gossip, but...I'm kind if glad it's out in the open. Just to get it over with." Yuuri said as he flopped resignedly onto Viktor's reclining form, dragging Yuri down with him.

"Over with how? We'll be answering questions forever. I can't even imagine how many messages and death threats all of us will have from the Angels, either," Yuri groaned.

"Well...I kind of like everyone knowing both of you are mine," Yuuri confessed, a bit of that eros confidence finding its way into the timbre of his voice.

Viktor ran a hand along Yuuri's stomach and down to his hips without missing a beat. "Oh my, Yuuri, someone sounds like he's excited today," he purred.

"It's hard not to be excited around you two," Yuuri confessed. His arm dropped around Yuri's waist as he leaned farther into Viktor's chest. "Both of you pretty much constantly rile me up anyhow."

"Do we now!" Viktor said mischievously. "Tell me Yuri, what do you do with our little katsudon?"

"Ugh," Yuri grumbled. "I don't want to play this game. Let's just torture him and be done with it."

Yuuri barely had time to manage a "Wait, what?" before he was pinned between two very aroused and very in love Russians, Viktor at his neck and Yuri, as always, at his lips. Hands and legs were everywhere, gasps and moans from every direction, until no one was a hundred percent sure who or what they were touching or hearing at any given moment, their clothes tossed aside as an unwanted burden. Yuri stopped to collect himself and found he was pressed firmly against Yuuri's ass with a hand clinging tightly to his chest, his lips and teeth at Yuuri's collarbone. It was not a bad place to be.

"Are you okay, kitten?" Yuuri choked out, pulling himself away from Viktor's passionate kiss for a moment. Yuri felt cheated as Yuuri stopped grinding that magnificent ass against him.

"Yeah, fine, just kinda got lost there for a minute," he admitted, giving the tight cheek in his palm an aggressive squeeze. "If you two are about to get all into it, I guess I should go then."

"We might," Yuuri said sheepishly.

"We will," Viktor muttered as his face disappeared into Yuuri's chest.

Yuuri shoved him away for the moment. "You know you're welcome to stay, kitten, but if you want to leave that's fine."

Yuri was caught between his heart, mind, and dick again, all three of which were throbbing to some degree or another at that exact moment. "No, I should go...take care of...well I should go," he muttered lamely as he gathered his clothes. He covered his body just enough to be decent and slipped into the hallway...though he found he couldn't go any farther.

No one was ever going to fuck him if he kept running out on it. Not only that, he had no idea what to do, and he didn't want to be treated like a kid when he and Yuuri finally took that step. Leaning back on the door, he listened to them for a while until he heard the sounds coming faster and harder.

Well, he wasn't going to get fucked today, but he was damn well gonna learn a thing or two. He turned around and threw the door open again, tossing his clothes onto the floor. Yuuri was looming above Viktor on the bed, clearly deep inside him at this point and in a very dominant position. Viktor's hands were tied to the bedframe behind them even as he struggled to touch Yuuri, though he had his legs wrapped around Yuuri's sturdy waist. He looked to be in complete and utter ecstasy despite - perhaps even because of - the denial. Yuuri looked gorgeous, strong, even feral as he mercilessly took Viktor, a look of sheer lust and determination on his face.

It seemed they hadn't noticed him yet. Briefly, he considered sitting by to watch, maybe even take notes, but he knew he wouldn't be satisfied with that. Hell, his legs were taking him towards the bed of his own accord. He felt his own excitement rising as he snuck up behind Yuuri, noticing with some amusement that his legs weren't the only part of him to have a growth spurt this week. Quietly, he leaned in and took another solid bite out of Yuuri's wonderful, mesmerizing ass. This time he was rewarded with a sharp moan instead of a panicked whimper. "Yurio," he gasped. "You came back. What are you-"

"Shut up," Yuri demanded. He knelt on the bed behind Yuuri, lowering Viktor's legs somewhat as he wrapped one arm around Yuuri's waist, winding the other underneath Yuuri's shoulder and across his chest. "Keep going," he whispered, lips grazing Yuuri's ear. "I just came to...watch and learn, I guess."

Yuuri smiled, still wild with lust, as he pulled Yuri into the most intense kiss of their lives. He resumed taking Viktor all the while, who whimpered in pitiful ecstasy as he pulled at the restraints. It was his first time seeing Yuuri like this, so utterly in charge. Attractive as it was, Yuri knew he wanted to be the one controlling Yuuri...though he also wanted Yuuri to fuck him oh so very, very badly. He didn't know if it was really possible to do both at once, and he wasn't about to ask, but he'd find a way. He wanted to completely rule over, dominate, and claim Yuuri's body even as Yuuri was inside of him, taking the role ostensibly linked with control. The thought brought him more pleasure then he would have ever expected.

For now, it was good enough to watch, to learn how to take Yuuri, to learn how to dominate. He found himself clutching Yuuri tighter and tighter as he picked up speed, found himself rutting into Yuuri's back as he was pressed flush against it. He made no effort to stop his fervent grinding, nor did he ever stop watching and analyzing Viktor and Yuuri before him - his analysis of Viktor nearly clinical in its sterility, his analysis of Yuuri clouded with blinding lust.

Before they even reached their climax, Yuri found himself lost in the idea of Yuuri making pathetic, whimpering gasps like Viktor's, the sound of someone being utterly dominated. He wanted that so bad. He wanted it almost as much as wanted Yuuri inside of him, as much as the thought still frightened him. Wanting something and fearing it at the same time was not new to Yuri Plisetsky - in fact, that was rather similar to how he felt about Yuuri when they first met. The fear somehow only made the passion stronger, and his rutting grew all the more intense, fitting himself perfectly along Yuuri's spine. He reached up to Yuuri's chin and brutally jerked his face closer, taking his lips in for a desperate, feral kiss, teeth practically tearing at hum, their tongues locked in a life or death struggle. His rutting reached a fever pitch. The sensation of both at once was enough to make him collapse into Yuuri, utterly spent. The warmth and moisture between them was intense and calming at the same time.

That started something of a chain reaction. Yuuri moaned into the kiss at the sensation of Yuri throbbing behind him, which caused him to slam rather brutally into Viktor, who expressed his appreciation both vocally and physically. Seeing that, and feeling Yuri clinging to his back, was enough for Yuuri to finally succumb to the undeniable eros he himself had created with that one simple statement less than an hour ago. As Yuri collapsed back into the bed, running a hand over his own chest and marveling at what he'd seen, Yuuri leaned forward to kiss and untie Viktor, who threw his arms around Yuuri immediately.

Panting, Yuuri lay back against Yuri, resting his head on that well-toned chest, tracing circles on the perfectly flat stomach as he loved to do. "Why did you come back? Are you okay?"

"God, katsudon, you act like I don't get aroused too," Yuri muttered as he tangled a hand into Yuuri's dark and soft hair.

"I know. Believe me, I definitely know," Yuuri said with a quiet laugh. "You've still turned us down every time to watch or participate, and two weeks ago you still weren't ready."

"I'm not," Yuri admitted. "But I wanted to learn, not about sex in general, but about what you liked and what you wanted, and even what I wanted."

"What do you want?" Yuuri asked innocently. Viktor moved to lay behind both of them, a hand lazily drapes over Yuuri's waist.

"You," Yuri answered. "But, specifically...I want you to fuck me. So, so bad. But...I want to take it like you took Viktor. Just so completely, utterly in control."

Yuuri shuddered with pleasure. "That can be arranged whenever you want, kitten. Even right now. We could do it in the shower."

Yuri smiled, a very rare broad, genuinely happy smile that few people had ever seen. "Not just now. Maybe soon. A shower though, that sounds great."

"Agreed," Yuuri said with a kiss. "Vicchan, you need to shower too. He gets really sleepy after every time, I practically have to drag him out."

"Loser," Yuri snorted. "Get up. You're filthy."

That did the trick. Viktor groaned and sat up. "I guess so. Make sure the private showers are free for us, would you Yuuri?"

Yuuri stood and threw some clothes on. "I guess I am the most presentable out of the three of us," he said with a smirk and a trace of that eros confidence. It was true enough, as both Russians were covered in bodily fluids from their groin to their chest.

He and Viktor lay on the bed a moment longer, processing. "Did you enjoy yourself, Yurio?" Viktor asked innocently.

"Yeah," Yuri grunted.

"Are you still frightened?" Viktor's face was unreadable.

Yuri glared at him. "Who said I was scared?"

"No one," Viktor answered, keeping his voice calm and steady. "I remember what it was like to be your age, unexperienced but ready for sex all the same."

Yuri was silent for a moment, then laughed bitterly. "Yeah, it's a bitch, isn't it?"

"Absolutely," Viktor said, breaking into a smile. "It's nothing to worry about Yurio. Yuuri will wait as long as you need. In the meantime, maybe I can help answer your questions."

Yuri turned up his nose at first. Still, who else would he ask? None of the parental substitutes in his life for damn sure. Not Otabek either, and sure as hell not Mila or Georgi. Yuuri was only slightly more experienced than him, and even so he'd likely learned all he knew from internet porn and Viktor. Chris wasn't remotely an option either, so that just left Viktor. "You heard what I told Yuuri. Tell me how to do that."

Viktor smiled even more. "Oh, that's an easy one. Being in charge has nothing to do with your position. It's about the mood, about your demeanor and how you control and direct the emotion in the room. I think you'll be a natural, Yurio."

Yuri rolled his eyes. "Less compliments, more details."

"Oh, rest assured, Yurio," Viktor said with unmistakable excitement. "I've got all the details you can handle. When it comes to keeping Yuuri satisfied, I'm pulling out on the stops."

Me too, old man, Yuri thought. Maybe he was good for something after all.


	8. Regards and Salchows

"Are you alright?" Yuuri asked as he leaned over Yuri, who had refused to get back up after his tenth failure to land a quad salchow, brows knitted in concern. "We should probably try this again later."

"Oh, fuck off," Yuri snarled, hauling himself off the ground. His whole body ached, and where it ached the most, he was also damp from repeated slides across the ice. The red shirt he had borrowed (all the practice clothes he owned that still fit were dirty), his favorite out of all Yuuri's workout clothes, was nearly frozen to his back. "I taught you how to land this in the first place. I can do it."

Yuuri did his best to ignore the vitriol, but the hurt was still evident no matter how hard he tried. Yuri's self loathing continued to mount. "I know. And I know you can do it. We just need to figure out exactly how to re-balance things. Why don't we just do some other jumps and come back to it?"

"Because this was my strongest one, and how the hell am I supposed to get the others if I can't do that?" Yuri half growled, half moaned as he laid back down on the ice in a more comfortable position. He had forced Yuuri to measure him, and it turned out he'd managed to grow a terrifying 12 centimeters since he last checked before Worlds (as well as a few in other, more hidden places too, but he wasn't going to be broadcasting that no matter how irrationally proud he was).

Yuuri knelt next to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "The salchow is tough. Not the toughest, maybe, but it's still a huge pain. It's a quad, after all. None of them are easy."

"I guess," Yuri grumbled. He lifted his own hand to meet Yuuri's and looked up into the warm and reassuring eyes flecked with concern. He roughly grabbed the back of Yuuri's head and pulled him down into a desperate kiss. "Why is it that I actually believe your stupid meaningless platitudes, katsudon?"

Yuuri smiled, face inches away from his own. "Because I really mean them?"

Yuri ran a cold hand along Yuuri's face as he looked up at him with mingled affection and confusion. "So does Viktor. I still don't buy his cheery bullshit."

"Hey!" Viktor protested from across the rink where he leaned on the barrier, chatting with an equally concerned Minako. Yuuri couldn't help but laugh at his feigned irritation

"Guess I'm just special," he joked.

"Damn right," Yuri growled, feeling his concerns evaporate for the moment under Yuuri's watchful gaze. He tried to haul Yuuri into another kiss, but failed.

"No more kissing til you get off the ice, kitten," Yuuri teased. "You must be soaked."

Yuri shrugged as he started to lift himself up. "I'm used to it by now. I've spent the last two days skidding across the ice on my ass."

He was exaggerating somewhat. With the combined help of everyone present, he had managed to rework most of his jumps. He was landing his triples decently now, but the quads still evaded him. Today was the closest he'd come to getting a perfect toe loop, which had emboldened him enough to try the salchow...repeatedly. The loop he'd been trying to add was probably out of the question at this point, as were his now-signature tano jumps. It was at least another month before he really had to worry, but that didn't stop him.

"This still fucking sucks," Yuri grumbled as he got back up on his feet.

Yuuri gave him the kiss he promised and it sucked slightly less. They stood there a moment, Yuuri's hand still on the back of his head, fingers woven through slightly damp hair. "We got all your other jumps. We'll get these too."

"Shut - I mean...yeah. I know."

They skated over to the barrier with Viktor and Minako. Viktor looked like he wanted a hug, but restrained himself with reassuring hand on Yuri's shoulder. "You were closer today. I still think the main problem is in your landing, not the launch."

Yuri rolled his eyes. "So, the hardest part is all I have to get right. Hooray."

"I can see a couple of problem areas to target," Minako said as she analytically scanned Yuri's posture. "I think your landing itself would be fine if we can just figure out how to keep you in balance during the rotation."

"How?" Yuri grumbled, fighting the urge to yell and bitch like usual.

"You're overcompensating. We need to find a happy medium between what you're doing to balance now, and how you did it previously," she tapped her chin as she processed. "Let's watch Yuuri do a couple. A nice quad triple combo, maybe. You're about the same height now."

Yuuri's face lit up. "Wait a minute! I still have videos from when you taught me! Film me, then we can compare and find out what to do?"

"What are you getting at, katsudon?"

"If we see you doing it at your height, and me doing it at my height, we can probably figure out how you can do it at my height!"

"You teaching me how to salchow? This is so backwards," Yuri moaned. He pulled out his phone nonetheless, desperate at this point for anything that could work. "Skate away, katsudon."

There were several notifications from Yakov. He swiped them away. The old bastard could wait until practice was over...oh. Practice was supposed to be over. Were these losers staying late just to help him? His face burned, and he considered kicking Viktor before he remembered he was supposed to be filming. He skated closer to Yuuri to get a better angle. "Hurry up, katsudon. We can compare over lunch."

Yuuri just smiled. The salchow was perfect, as it had always been since he first managed it in China so long ago. Yuri felt like he should be bitter about it, but he was still irrationally proud every time Yuuri landed a salchow. Back then it was almost as good as a kiss to see Yuuri succeeding because of him.

Even now, with his own future in question, he couldn't be bitter. He recorded Yuuri from three different angles and felt just as excited every time. The day's failures were just aches and moisture on his body now instead of a weight on his soul. "Did you get decent footage?" Yuuri asked as he skidded to a stop. He hardly seemed tired.

"Guess so," Yuri said, struggling to cover up his sudden happiness. Stupid hormones. Stupid love. Whichever. "Come on, I'm starving and I want to do a side by side of both of our successes and all of my wipeouts til I nail this thing."

Yuuri's smile was unbelievable. Supportive, loving, and sort of terrified all at the same time. Yuri stole another kiss before he grabbed Yuuri's hand and dragged him out of the rink, where Viktor had a monstrous hug waiting for each of them (they had to trap Yuri between them to make him stay, but whatever worked).

Normally, Yuri would have katsudon and gloat about his superior metabolism, but since that first morning after his growing pains reached their peak he'd opted to settle for the healthier options his rink mates were eating. A few hurried emails later, he had his phone, Yuuri's phone, and Viktor's phone all set up in front of him, each one playing a different set of videos: past Yuri, present Yuuri, and (ugh) present Yuri all skating nearly in sync.

It was pretty painful to watch himself wipe out over and over alongside two other videos of flawless landings, especially when one of the videos featured a better version of himself. The anguish must have been noticeable because he soon felt Yuuri's hand resting on his own, one stray finger absently stroking the back of it. "Figured anything out yet?"

"A little," Yuri paused all three videos at roughly the same point in the jumps. "I can see where I was here, and where you were here, and then where I am. I think I need to be somewhere between past-me and you, but I'm way on the outside here on the landing, see?"

Yuuri nodded thoughtfully, but Viktor offered a more intense analysis. "We already knew you had to pull back on the landing. Let's go back a little bit and see how you got there instead."

They set all three back a few seconds. Past Yuri was perfectly balanced on his outside foot, as was Yuuri. Yuri, however, was leaning way too far into the outside edge of his back foot. "Holy shit, I think I see it," Yuri said excitedly. "If I can keep focus on that edge, it should be way easier to make my landing."

"You just need to balance between where you are now with where Yuuri is," Viktor said, pointing between the two. It would be an easy enough angle to achieve, he just needed to try it and, if successful, practice it over and over until it stuck. "I bet you can do that in a couple of days, easy."

Yuuri wrapped an arm around Yuri, who was still staring dumbfounded at the screens. It was something so simple, but it completely bombed his best quad. Puberty was a total crock. How did he not see that in two days of miserable, miserable practice? Still, relief flooded him, and he dove into Yuuri's side hug so hard they both tumbled to the floor. He smiled broadly into Yuuri's chest, glad no one could see it. "I guess you want to go practice right now, huh?"

Yuri nodded vigorously. "I'm staying there til my feet bleed if I have to."

"Ice Castle is still open for public skate. We can't go crashing into the locals," Viktor joked, even as he gently squeezed Yuri's shoulder in a quiet gesture of pride and support.

"I think Minako is between classes right now. We can go to her place, show her what we found, and warm up for practice there. She can help with your positioning," Yuuri said with a smile.

"Less talk, more dance!" Yuri said hurriedly as his uncoordinated legs took him down the hall.

At the studio, the three of them immediately showed Minako what they had discovered between the three videos. "I think I may see the problem here," she said as she pointed at the latest one. She played Yuri's humiliating fall back in excruciatingly slow motion, eventually stopping at the exact point they had spotted before. "See that?"

"Yeah, we noticed he was coming down too far on the edge," Yuuri said, pointing at the blades' contact with the ice. "That's what we want to practice tonight. Yuri just wanted to stretch and practice footwork for a bit."

"Stretching is a good idea, but no, that's not what I meant," Minako said as she moved Yuuri's finger ever so slightly, so that he was pointing not at the blade but at Yuri's heel. "When you land on that back foot, your ankle just kind of buckles on you. It's possible your tendons may still be trying to catch up to the rest of you."

Yuri's hard-won hope began to give way to rage and misery again. "So, what? I'm fucked, then?"

Viktor looked like he wanted to make a joke out of that, but mercifully restrained himself. Yuri still somewhat regretted confiding in him. Still, Viktor had done an excellent job so far of talking to Yuri about sex and intimacy and was slowly, slowly easing him into a place where he was ready for it. So he could live, for now.

As long as he kept his goddamn mouth shut about it.

"No, it just means we need to get to that stretching you wanted," Minako said as she returned to ballet instructor mode and pointed at the barre. "Go ahead. I need to see what you can do. Lilia said your flexibility has improved from abysmal to below average, which I'm pretty sure makes you some kind of ballet demigod."

Yuri's heart skipped a beat in the weirdest way. Lilia said he was only below average? That was a surprising confidence boost. He expressed his thanks in the form of a derisive huff. "God, fine."

He went through his usual repertoire, the stretches he would do casually leaning against the rink barrier, though they would kill all but the most flexible of men. He noticed an ache in heels and ankle, especially on the right leg, and stubbornly blamed Minako for planting the idea in his head. He refused to betray any sign of discomfort.

"Feeling alright so far?" Minako asked, giving him an appraising look.

"Fine," he grunted through clenched teeth. He wasn't in the mood to chat with one leg raised preposterously high above his head...although he'd done so many times when he was younger. Hell, he'd lean on the barriers like this to relax.

Yuuri stood next to him and lowered his face down to where Yuri was leaning on the barre. "I'm pretty sure 'fine' just means 'not dead yet' in Yurio language."

"Exactly! I'm fine, so shut up!"

"Alright then, how's this?" Yuuri asked in the most innocent of voices as he reached up to Yuri's raised foot and started lowering it from a well-practiced plantar flexion to dorsal. Pain radiated from his heel and he reflexively kicked away from Yuuri and the barre, nearly falling back on that same heel. "I'm so sorry! I just wanted to see if it hurt!"

"Well of course it fucking hurt, I'm not supposed to go that way!" Yuri snapped, but he knew what the response was going to be.

"If you had told us you were having a harder time than usual, Yuuri wouldn't have had to try and push you," Viktor chided. "It's clear now you were just being difficult. That position shouldn't have hurt so much if your tendons were 'fine.'"

Stupid Viktor. "Fine then. What the hell do I do about this?"

Yuuri still looked mortified. Minako just shrugged. "Stretch like a bastard and hope your tendons get the message. Things tend to even out over time, but not always in the order you want them to."

"And if they don't even out in time for the GP series?" Yuri growled.

"Then wait for it to even out. Practice just as much, but avoid competitions," Yuuri said softly, like he was dealing with a cornered animal. "The worst thing you can do to is let these growth spurts turn into an injury that sinks the most promising career in figure skating right now, maybe ever."

Viktor looked like he wanted to protest that last remark but restrained himself. "You know Yuuri, Yakov, Lilia and I will take care of you in St Petersburg, and you can come to our events and practice as well."

"I can't just fucking stop. I'm doing the GP series even if I have to do it lopsided," Yuri snapped. "We already figured out what was wrong with my quads. All I have to do is correct it, and practice it right from now on."

"That's my point," Minako said. She wasn't coddling him like Viktor or constantly trying to cheer him like Yuuri, which he respected. It was almost as good as having Lilia around. "Your tendons are physically incapable of keeping up with your jumps right now. By all means, give it a try tonight, once, and after a lot of stretching, but don't push it or this is all going to be for nothing."

Yuri fumed. "It's going to be for nothing anyway if I miss the series."

There was a moment of tense silence and a few exchanged glances. A conversation that Yuri was not privy to occurred in those pointed looks, but before he could protest, Viktor was wheeling Minako out the door to discuss choreography, leaving him alone with Yuuri.

"The fuck was that about, katsudon?" Yuri grumbled. Yuuri's soft eyes were filled with concern, but also love and unmistakable confidence. Yuuri was seldom confident in himself without good reason, so what was he so sure of?

"I want to show you something," he said as he pulled out his phone. He handed Yuri an earbud and pulled up a song simply called "In Regard to Love." The opening was unmistakably cribbed from Eros, but it wasn't identical - there was a softer element to it, something more tender and less aggressive but just as passionate. The music kicked off into distantly familiar beats. The soprano sounds from Agape started to weave into the music, and the two styles didn't duel so much as meld in a way Yuri couldn't fathom. The program was sexual, yet divine; passionate, but innocent. It reminded him of his own feelings, how he had gone from wanting to dominate Yuuri to wanting to stay by his side in any capacity, to finally opening up and accepting his love. At the same time it spoke of a selfless kind of eroticism, the sort of tantric love that was completely beyond Yuri's experience, something Viktor had mentioned but a concept he failed to grasp until now.

The balance in the song had shifted now, favoring the soft strains of Agape but never losing the rhythm or speed of Eros. The climax was deeply familiar, that passionate, aching rush leading into the final jump and spin sequence Yuri knew all too well. This time the ache wasn't one of longing or desire, but an ache of exquisite pleasure, the feeling of being so utterly happy you could burst. The way Yuuri made him feel every single day. Unlike Agape, the song didn't peter out at the end, didn't offer that same feeling of a lonely voice confessing love to an uncaring void, but it built back up to the passionate, confident ending of Eros.

It was perfect. It was everything he ever felt for Yuuri from the day he'd watched that beautiful step sequence (and kicked in a bathroom door) in two minutes of music. He looked at Yuuri's anxious smile. "Where did this come from?"

"The same friend who wrote my free program. She has a real talent for converting feelings into music. I told her I wanted a song that expressed our progress in understanding these programs over that year, and I told her about us and how I feel about you...well," he stammered, suddenly flustered, "What do you think?"

"I don't know," Yuri teased as he looked over Yuuri's anxious face. "Kinda wanna skate to it. Kinda wanna dance to it," He turned around abruptly and threw Yuuri up against the barre, pinning him to the wall and pressing their hips together aggressively. "Kinda want to ask her to write an hour long version so I can pin you to the floor and ride you to it."

"R-ride me?" Yuuri choked out. There was a wonderful twitch somewhere in the neighborhood of his crotch as he quivered under Yuri's intense viridian gaze.

"To oblivion," Yuri half-whispered, half-snarled. He dove in to for a longer, rougher taste of Yuuri's lips. "I love it. And I can't wait to skate it with you."

"Okay but the uh...the riding thing too?" Yuuri stammered, looking both hopeful and terrified. It was perfect.

"What, you want to do it here and defile your poor instructor's studio?" Yuri challenged.

"No no no! We don't even have any...no, we couldn't here, I just meant...if you actually wanted to or-"

Yuri answered the question with a dangerous and perhaps desperate thrust of his hips, grinding furiously into Yuuri even as he kissed him again. "The only thing keeping me from pouncing this very goddamn instant is that I want to fix these stupid quads even more than I want to fuck you, so, let's do some goddamn stretching," he growled. Yuuri shuddered at the hot breath on his ear, and Yuri heard the slightest of whimpers.

Fucking. Perfect. Only Yuuri could make such a horrible day tolerable.

"Then let's definitely start stretching again and get you on the ice," he muttered pathetically as he wriggled out of Yuri's hold on him.

"Spoilsport," Yuri chided. Viktor and Minako returned soon and the hour passed quickly as Yuri awaited the chance to try out his quads again.

That evening, on the ice in front of Viktor, Yuuri, Minako, and even a curious Yuko, he launched into his eleventh salchow of the day. Even as he over-rotated, the perfectionist inside him was silent with pride. He'd landed on his feet. His tendons hurt like a bitch, but he could still land. Even if he grew again, he knew he could beat the shit out of nature.

He skated off the ring to the sounds of his supporters cheering, and claimed his gold medal in the form of a katsudon's sweet embrace.


	9. Feuds and Rifts

Another week after his semi-successful salchow, Yuri was still stuck in a rut. His success rate had increased, with the revelation from Minako, to about three-in-ten. Mercifully the failures were usually step-outs, over-rotations and grazing the ice rather than skidding around on his ass like before. He was happy to be landing on his feet at all, and for a while it even seemed his body may be catching up.

At least, that's what he thought until he woke up one morning with a fresh batch of aches in every joint. He greeted that particular morning with a vehement string of Russian profanity.

Yuuri flailed himself awake in a blind panic, then, after identifying the source of the commotion, turned to Yuri and tried to hold and soothe him in an oddly maternal fashion. "Yuri - kitten - what's wrong?"

"It hurts again," he moaned into his palms, still muttering curses under his shaking breath. Viktor, still looking scandalized at the unspeakable things emitting from Yuri, moved to shut off the alarm.

"What hurts?" Yuuri asked, confused, still clinging tightly to the shaking boy.

"Growing pains, again, everywhere."

Yuuri started to calmly rub his back. "Maybe it's a good thing. Maybe you're just catching up to your last one. I doubt you're having another major spurt so soon."

"When is this shit ever good," Yuri growled as he wrenched himself free and searched for his practice clothes.

A deeply concerned Viktor laid a hand on Yuri's shoulder for a moment before he escaped that one as well. "You should probably - "

"I am not skipping another day of practice for this shit," he said, uncharacteristically calm. He was beyond rage at this point, filled only with a quiet determination to best the ever-loving shit out of nature and a deadly, seething hatred of it.

He heard Yuuri finally leaving bed as well, offering a gentle "Yuri..."

"No," Yuri nearly yelped. If Yuuri asked, if he really needed it, Yuri would be powerless to stop him. He'd hate himself for it, he'd hate Yuuri for it, and that would make him hate himself all the more and he couldn't bear any of that in his current emotional state. In a voice that he desperately hoped sounded less pathetic than he felt, he added "Please."

Yuuri silently walked over to wrap his arms around Yuri's waist, leaning in the kiss the juncture between his neck and shoulder. "Can I at least attempt to massage the pain out a bit before we go? I don't want it distracting you during practice."

Yuri's resolve and hatred melted a tiny, tiny bit. It seemed like a reasonable compromise. "Fine," he mumbled as he all but threw himself back into bed.

"We're going to have to tell Yakov and Lilia again," Viktor said, attempting to downplay his concern as much as possible. Yuri knew him entirely to well for that, though.

"They'll just worry about nothing..."

"They've been doing this longer than you've been alive, little tiger. That, and they hold both your career and your well-being to the highest priority."

"Tell the worrywart geezers, then," Yuri growled, knowing it was inevitable but desperately not wanting to acknowledge what could be happening again. Viktor, knowing Yuri just as well, took his meaning with a small, sad smile as he typed out a message. Sometime after practice Yuri knew he would be getting an earful.

Soon enough, Yuuri's hands were at his back, and everything felt a little better. Still hurt like a bitch, but in the good way that only a properly done massage can manage. He melted into the touch. "Can I at least convince you to lay off the quads until we hear from Yakov?" Yuuri asked as sweetly as he could (which was very, very goddamn sweet).

Witchcraft. Horrible, evil witchcraft. That's what Yuuri did to make these ideas of his seem so reasonable. It was the only explanation. "Fine. Less bitching, more massaging."

He let out a contented sigh as he felt Yuuri's hands running along his back and down his bare sides, his skin positively tingling at the sensation of blood being forced out and allowed back into his muscles at the ebb and flow of Yuuri's fingertips. "I know you'll probably hate hearing this, but...at least you're growing very beautifully."

"What's that supposed to mean," Yuri moaned into his arms. Growth was the last thing he wanted to discuss.

"You're staying in proportion, mostly. Maybe a little broader in the shoulders and hips, but not much...still a very trim waist and the tiniest bit more muscle mass, but ultimately about the same build as before," Viktor answered, carefully analyzing Yuri from the sofa. "You're lucky, actually. It means you really only have to look out for what we discussed with Minako instead of having to also deal with massive changes to your proportions or muscle and bone mass. And yes, it is also very becoming."

Yuri mumbled something unintelligible into his arms about Viktor's hairline. Mercifully only Yuuri heard it. "Very becoming," he whispered as his hands ran along Yuri's side and down to his hips.

"Under different circumstances, I'd be ridiculously turned on right now," Yuri sighed.

"Me too," said both Yuuri and Viktor. They laughed, and even Yuri wrestled with a smile.

After a successful if non-erotic massage, the pain subsided somewhat. Enough for Yuri to have a serviceable practice, focusing on footwork and less complex jumps. For once in his life he was excited for Yakov's call because it meant he could get back to business, but of course the old man wouldn't be awake until after practice was over. Even so, the pain and the continuing physical difficulties were even affecting his triple jumps now. No wipeouts, but a lot of technical errors and deeply frustrating inconsistency.

Yakov called shortly after the three of them finished eating lunch, meaning he likely called Yuri the instant everyone in St Petersburg was settled into morning practice. "Yuri, Viktor tells me you're having growing pains again," the old man said with mingled irritation and concern (so basically his default tone).

"It's not a big deal," Yuri said, rolling his eyes. "Katsudon talked me into taking it easy this morning and it was fine."

Yakov shook his head. "Viktor said your triple jumps were looking weak this morning."

Yuri shot a venomous glare across the room at Viktor, who had his most innocent and lovable face on. "Viktor has a fat mouth."

"Viktor is doing exactly as he was told for once in his insubordinate life," Yakov shouted, making sure Viktor could hear. "Lilia and I will be watching your afternoon practice. We need to see what's happening."

"Just watch the videos from last week - "

"We have, and we told Vitya to keep a close eye on things for that reason. You don't seem to realize how important it is to take care of yourself right now, and you need to - "

"What I need is for everyone to stop telling me what the fuck I need!" Yuri shouted. He'd have hung up the phone if Viktor hadn't moved it out of reach at that exact moment.

"That's what coaches are for, Yuri," Yakov snapped. "We will speak after practice, and that's the last we are discussing this."

Viktor smiled and waved at the phone as he continued to hold it out of Yuri's reach. "See you soon, Yakov! Say hi to everyone for us!"

Yuri sat down as the call ended, fuming. "What the fuck, Viktor?"

"I'm worried about you, Yurio. Everyone keeps telling you to take it easy, and you keep pushing yourself," Viktor said with surprising sincerity.

"No shit. That's what I do, and it works every time," Yuri growled, wanting to swat that damn goofy smile off his face.

Viktor almost frowned. "This is different, though. This is a very delicate time for your body, and one that will require a lot of adjustment on your skills. The answer to that is more practice, not a grueling series of competitions."

"Bullshit. You just want me out of the way so you know you have a clear shot at the podium, don't you? That's why you're blowing this out of proportion," Yuri hissed. Distantly, he was aware he had crossed a dangerous line. Viktor's smile was frozen ice solid, but he didn't otherwise betray his feelings. Yuuri looked petrified, eyes flitting between them in a panic. That was what Yuri felt truly bad about, but he stood his ground. Every year older you get, you're more and more afraid of competing with me, and now you're just clearing the path for one more shot at glory,"

"You shouldn't say such silly things like that to people who are trying to help you. That seems like an excellent path to ending up alone and afraid," Viktor said brightly, standing to clear away their dishes and maintaining his most intimidating smile. "But you should be used to that, shouldn't you, Yurachka?"

Yuri gaped at his disappearing back. Fuming, practically leaking steam, he prepared a withering retort that died in his throat the instant he saw Yuuri trembling where he knelt on the floor, a look of utter terror on his face. A look that, to Yuri, screamed, please, please don't make me choose sides. "Katsudon...I'm..." sorry? He wasn't. At least not about what he said to Viktor, just what it did to Yuuri. Even so, he still couldn't say it. Instead, Yuri turned on his heel and stormed out the opposite door and headed straight to Ice Castle Hasetsu.

There were a few random townspeople skating around as Yuri remembered it was public skate for a few more hours. Rather than risk having to talk to all these people who would probably recognize him, if not on his own merits then as Yuuri's boyfriend, he knocked on the door to the office in the hopes that Yuko was working.

Mercifully, she poked her head out and smiled. At least someone was happy to see him right now. "Yurio! Are you all alone today? Did you want to skate?"

He shook his head. "Plenty of time for that later. Can I come in?"

Her smile brightened as she opened to door. "Sure! Where are Yuuri and Viktor, anyway?"

"Probably back at the inn still," he muttered as he shoved past her to slump in a chair.

"Is everything okay?" Yuko's voice was positively oozing motherly concern. Yuri instinctively wanted to sulk, but in truth that was exactly what he came for.

"Growing pains," he said simply. "My jumps are really inconsistent all of a sudden, and...well, Viktor was being an ass."

"How so?" Yuko asked, cocking her head to one side in curiousity.

"Telling me I should take the season off to get more practice for Nationals and Worlds. He won't shut up about it, just like Yakov."

"It sounds like they're worried about you."

"Yakov worries too much. Viktor just wants me out of the way so he only has to beat one of us for the GPF."

Yuko gasped. "He wouldn't do something like that!"

"I've known him a pretty long time, and even before I really met him Yakov was always talking about him. Trust me, that's exactly the kind of selfish and manipulative shit he would do," Yuri growled.

"True, you would know him better but..."

Yuri squirmed under her gaze. Something unpleasant was about to happen, he could tell. "But what? Is that not an end of discussion sort of admittance?"

"Maybe he would do that to someone else, but," she said, forcing Yuri to look at her. "Imagine what it would do to Yuuri if that were true. If Viktor did something like that to you. I just can't imagine him taking that chance with Yuuri's feelings."

"We're talking about Viktor 'lol let's tell Yuuri I'll quit if he misses the podium' Nikiforov here. This kind of pathetic mindfuckery is right up his alley, even if it does make his precious Yuuri cry."

She smiled. "Yuuri told me about that one. I doubt it's a mistake he's ever going to repeat."

"Viktor doesn't really learn from mistakes. He'd have to admit he made them first."

Yuko laid a hand on his arm. "Yuri, I really don't think he would do that to you, or to Yuuri. I don't expect you to believe me if I say he cares about you, but I know you don't believe he'd hurt Yuuri like that."

That was what she said. What Yuri heard was "After all, you were the one who left him shaking on the floor to come and sulk."

It was silent in the small room for a long time as he fought the lump in his throat and the memory of Yuuri kneeling on the floor between them, utterly petrified. He might still be like that. Half of his brain screamed at him to go back. The other half refused to even look at Viktor, petrified at the idea of having to apologize first. Yuko's hand never left his arm.

"You know, when Yuuri had something to work through, he used to come here and skate figures," she finally said, hoping it would distract him long enough to speak.

"Figures?" He choked out. "That shit was phased out before Yakov even started competing."

She nodded, a wistful smile on her face. "It was almost a kind of mantra for him. Even then he could only express himself on the ice."

"I'd give it a try, but I'm not sure where I could find an ancient scroll to dust off that had diagrams on it."

Yuko laughed. "It's probably very boring for anyone other than him."

"Definitely," Yuri said from behind the ghost of a smile. "Explains his crazy footwork though."

They sat there and watched kids skate around and fall on their asses. Yuri kind of envied them. He had precious few memories of a time where skating was something he did for fun, let alone to relax. For most of his young life it was a constant battle to keep his loved ones fed and clothed, supported by his relentless and often brutal competitive nature. Not counting when he was extremely young, the only times he ever remembered being happy skating were when he was skating with Yuuri.

He wanted to go back so badly. Still, he knew they would be here sooner rather than later, and he wanted to draw as much strength from Yuko as possible.

By the time the sun began to set and public skate ended, Yuri was resigned to his fate. He had to make things right with Viktor. He had to make it up to Yuuri. And he absolutely had to do listen to Yakov this time: he was not in any shape to compete, and he would absolutely be risking his career and maybe his life trying to fight through it. Two of those hurt like knives in his gut, but he choked them down all the same. He told himself he was doing it for Yuuri, but he knew he had to do it for himself.

Yuko forced him into a supportive hug which he awkwardly returned. The walk to the changing rooms seemed impossibly long, like the hall was stretching out before him for miles, like the door was looming above him, towering into the sky like an impossible obstacle preventing him from making things right. He could hear quiet, tense conversation behind the door, but couldn't make out any words. Gathering his courage, he barreled through the door, nearly tripping over the bench and into the wall.

"Thank god," he heard a sigh of relief, felt Yuuri's arms around him. "I'm sorry."

Yuri turned into the hug, burying his face into Yuuri's neck. "What are you sorry for, katsudon? I'm the one that fucked up."

"No, I...I should have stepped in. I should have seen that it was going to escalate, and..."

Yuri released him and reached out to stroke his face. "Stop. I'm the one who's sorry. I should never have put you in that position. It's completely my fault. I never, ever, ever, ever want to make you feel like that again."

Yuuri's hand raised to meet his own. "Never thought I'd hear you say anything like that, Yurio," he teased, voice still weak but regaining strength with every syllable.

"Well, you're rubbing off me in more ways than one," Yuri admitted. "Where's Viktor?"

"He's just talking to Yakov outside," Yuuri said, suddenly nervous.

"What about?" Yuri asked, making a sincere effort to ask the question calmly.

"He's...trying to convince Yakov to let you compete, actually," Yuri said through a weak smile.

Yuri couldn't help but return it. "What an idiot," he mumbled. "He should make up his damn mind, then."

"He felt really awful about what he said. Bad enough that he decided that you should do what you wanted even if it was stupid," Yuuri said quietly. "He really does care, Yuri."

"Ugh, I know," Yuri mumbled. "I...well, I'll be right back," he said as he leaned in to give Yuuri a very well-deserved kiss before he headed out.

Viktor was standing just outside, red-faced and bickering with Yakov. It was something Yuri had seen many times, but seldom with such furor. The daggers in his stomach twisted. That Viktor was willing to stand up for him like this made everything so much worse, but made what he had to do so much easier. He threw open the door and stormed towards Viktor, snatching the phone away before the man knew what was happening. "Quit your bleating, you old fuck, I'm taking the series off already!"

"What?!" Yakov and Viktor both shouted.

Yuri just rolled his eyes. "You heard me! But I'm going to practice my ass off for Nationals. I swear to god, I'm not missing that one even if it does kill me."

Yakov just rubbed his temple. "You kids are going to kill me. Everyone tells you to take a break, you explode on all of us, then Vitya spends half an hour fussing at me and now you're just going to step down without a fight...if Katsuki is behind this one, too, I'm writing him into my will. Which will pay out very soon if you two have anything to say on the matter."

"Nope, no katsudon," Yuri said with newfound confidence. "This was for me."

Yakov just sighed, but he looked more relieved that Yuri had ever seen. "What does it say about my coaching that I'm actually concerned when my students agree with me?"

"Oh, quit your whining. Talk to you soon," Yuri said as he ended the call and looked up at Viktor, who was making that ridiculous puppy face he made when he was overwhelmed with emotion. "Ugh, don't make that stupid face at me."

Viktor swooped in on him with the biggest, bone crushingest hug of his entire goddamn life. He felt his feet leave the floor. "Yurio, I'm so sorry about what I said! Can you ever forgive me?!"

"Jesus, yes, just put me the fuck down!" Yuri choked out. Viktor obliged but did not release him. "I'm sorry too. In fact, I'm even more sorry than you are."

Viktor just laughed. "So you even have to apologize better than me?"

For once in his life, Yuri returned the hug. "Yeah. I'm apologizing the fuck out of you as a warm up for when I cream you at nationals."

"Looking forward to it," Viktor whispered.

"How was katsudon after I left?" Yuri asked, anxious.

"He didn't speak for a while, but he didn't cry either. I just stayed with him a while and then we went to the studio."

"So you didn't apologize?"

"He wouldn't let me. I was too busy stopping him from apologizing."

"Ha! I totally apologized to him," Yuri gloated. "I win."

Viktor released him from the hug with a hearty laugh. "I'll just let you have this one, then. These are the first two apologies of your life, after all."

"Whatever! I just wanted to keep getting bottoming tips from you."

"Oh, I think you know everything I know and was able to learn from Christophe," Viktor said with a wink. "Do you think you're ready?"

Yuri bit his lower lip. He remembered the way he felt mounting Yuuri, teasing him, how he had the greatest thrill of his life just from holding Yuuri while he and Viktor went at it. The way Yuuri looked at him when they kissed, the way he felt when they were clinging to each other naked in the onsen. But most of all, he remembered Yuuri's beauty illuminated in the light of a sparkler on a Hasetsu beach, the only time he ever saw Yuuri truly carefree, and he knew. "Hell yes."

Viktor offered the most beautiful and genuine smile Yuri had ever seen on him. "Good, because I arranged to go drinking with the girls tonight. I thought you might want to perform with a little less pressure for your first time."

"Sure, whatever," Yuri said, hiding behind his walls as quickly as he could, even knowing that Viktor could see through them. Now he was going to have to do something even more thoughtful. He refused to be one-upped. "Oh, and by the way. That eros competition you wanted? Totally on. And I'll kick your ass there too."


	10. Love and Ice

(AN: Explicit version available on AO3 under the name istillfearkanna)

Despite his constant bitching about Yuri's health, Yakov's revised training schedule was an absolute bastard. Without a competitive season, the time he would have spent training for a program was instead dedicated to revisiting his technical skills and readjusting them according to his changing body. As a result, he collapsed into bed the night after he officially stepped out of the GPF series aching worse than he had from his growing pains that morning.

"This new regimen is so goddamn boring," he moaned after nearly an hour in the onsen. His entire body relaxed the point that he felt like he was falling apart at the seams.

Yuri felt warm, caring arms slide around his waist and he leaned back into Yuuri's firm and inviting chest. His wet hear spread out around Yuuri's shoulder and he looked up into his katsudon's loving eyes, the steam around them making the whole thing seem like even more of a dream than it was. "Just think about how much better you'll be at Worlds after all this extra practice, though," Yuuri said reassuringly as he pressed a kiss into a purring Yuri's forehead. "People skip out on the GPF to warm up for the olympics all the time and they turn in crazy performances."

"Ugh, leave all that positive sunshiney shit at the door, katsudon," Yuri mumbled. He threw his arms around Yuuri's shoulders, buried his face in the soft and inviting neck. "Although, yes, I am going to destroy you at Worlds..."

"Ha, well, I guess we-"

"...almost as much as I'm going to destroy you tonight," Yuri finished, his lips grazing Yuuri's ear. Already flushed from the onsen, Yuuri seemed to get a little dizzy from the sudden rush of blood.

"What do you mean?"

In response, Yuri climbed on top of Yuuri, turning to face him. He pressed their foreheads together. "I want you. And I'm going to have you tonight."

Yuuri swallowed and nodded weakly. "Are you sure you're ready?"

"The only things I'm more sure about are how much I love you, and how bad I'm gonna beat you next year," Yuri growled and pinned Yuuri's back to the wall, their lips barely apart. "I'm gonna prove both tonight."

"I've never been so terrified and turned on in my life," Yuuri whispered as he leaned in for a desperate kiss. Yuri took a solid bite out of his bottom lip.

"I can feel both," Yuri whispered.

"No defiling the onsen, please," Yuuri protested with a weak chuckle.

"Oh, I wouldn't dare. We'll have to defile the fuck out of the bedroom instead." Yuri said with a mischievous and lustful smile.

"...Well, I think we've had enough of a soak, then, let's go there right now," Yuuri said hurriedly, the words tumbling out of his mouth. Yuri hadn't seen him this excited in a while.

Still, it wouldn't do to lose control so quickly. "I want another minute," Yuri insisted. Leaning back, he ran his hands along Yuuri's body and down to his waist. He finally tore his eyes away from that beautiful, dorky face that so enraptured him to take in the entirety of the being before him.

God, he was so, so ready for this it hurt.

"Yuri, please," Yuuri gasped as Yuri's lips and teeth let him breathe while they explored his collarbone, "Bedroom."

The fact that he could so easily destroy Yuuri's ability to form coherent sentences was intoxicating. "Keep begging and maybe I'll let you up," he hissed as his teeth found their way to an exposed and vulnerable chest.

Yuuri gasped and whimpered pathetically. "Please Yuri. Please let me take you to bed."

"What do you want me to do there?" Yuri asked, voice a dangerous and lustful whisper. "You want me to ride you? To break you, own you, tame you?"

"Please," Yuuri whined.

"Say it then. Tell me what you want. Beg for it."

"Please, Yuri, please ride me...like you said you would, Yuri," he choked it out so pathetically it was pushing Yuri dangerously close to the edge.

But he wasn't done. Not until he heard it back. "Ride you and what, Yuuri?"

"Break me, Yuri," he gasped at last. "Own me."

Perfection itself. Yuri had to fight back an orgasm on the spot. He abruptly stopped his kissing and the ministrations of his hips and leapt out of the bath. "Then let's go."

Yuuri nearly collapsed under the water now that he was released, though he regained his strength quickly and seemed to fly into a towel and out the door. Yuri smirked to himself as he made his way to the bedroom at his own speed.

Nearly an hour later, the two of them collapsed into each other, utterly spent. It had been everything Yuri dreamed and more since he was fifteen. "Yuri, that was...how did you...how was that your first time?"

"I told you, katsudon," Yuri panted with a smirk. "I don't half ass anything. I've been practicing for weeks."

"It's just...my first time with Viktor, I was so terrible. He was a good teacher, of course, and things are amazing now , but..." Yuuri found the energy to lift his head, hovering just above Yuri's, "That was every bit as good, and you haven't any experience at all."

Pride, love, and lust swelled inside of Yuri, a heady mixture that nearly made him dizzy. "I wanted my first time with you to be special. Perfect, just like you are."

Yuuri's face cracked into an overwhelmed smile, his eyes widening with desperate affection. "I love you, kitten. So much."

Yuri's heart cracked, too, in the best possible way. "I love you too, Yuuri."

"I love katsudon."

Those were the first words Viktor Nikiforov heard as he awoke from a nap on his sofa, holding Makkachin tightly, feet resting against his Yuuri's leg. He dimly recognized the voice as Yurio's and decided it must not have been that long of a nap.

"I really, really love katsudon," Yurio continued. He couldn't possibly be talking about the food, not with his voice shaking like that. Viktor pretended to be asleep, knowing full well that if he revealed he was awake, Yurio would bolt, and the boy clearly needed to get this off his chest.

Viktor listened to the whole confession, his heart aching for Yurio. He'd known how the boy felt ever since that day in Barcelona, when Yurio had confronted him in a blind rage. He said some despicable things, but even so, Viktor had never forgiven himself for taking the bait. Yurio was just a boy then, a scared and frightened boy barely beginning to understand love and feeling like it was being stolen from him, and Viktor had somehow felt the need to talk down to him.

At first, Viktor thought it strange that Yurio could still be carrying this torch, but of course he did. Yuuri had given Yurio his own life and love. The three of them were hopelessly intertwined from the moment Yuuri walked into the banquet hall that evening in Sochi, glum and quiet beneath Celestino's firm grip.

The door slammed. Yurio was gone. Viktor considered pretending to sleep a little longer, but changed his mind as soon as he felt Yuuri shaking. He sat up abruptly to see Yuuri wracked with sobs, confused and saddened by what had just happened. "Yuuri," Viktor cooed soothingly, reaching out to cup his face, "My Yuuri. What's wrong?"

"I think Yurio is in love with me," he stammered, unable to look at Viktor, instead staring at the abandoned half-eaten piroshki before him, fixated on it like it was the only thing in the world. Viktor let Makkachin off the couch as he leaned over to wrap Yuuri in his arms.

"Of course he is, Yuuri," he sighed. "How could he not be? You're wonderful."

"No," Yuuri said with a quiet laugh. A good sign, perhaps. "I mean...really in love with me."

"I know," Viktor said, stroking Yuuri's toned stomach. "I've always suspected he did, to be honest."

Yuuri turned to him with a look of incredulity. "Seriously? Since when?"

"Barcelona," was the simple reply. The place that meant so much to them and also seemingly meant so much to poor Yurio. "He assaulted me the morning after our engagement, said I was dead to him, that I was wasting my time looking after you."

"That sounds awful," Yuuri said, taken aback.

"It was, but I was the adult in that situation, and instead of being sensitive or just telling him off, I riled him up even more," Viktor said sadly. "Even so, before he left, he confessed that he missed Hasetsu. Home. And I knew that he wasn't just talking about Hasetsu."

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Yuuri asked, wiping away his tears.

"I didn't want you to think less of him for what he said, and I didn't dare distract you before the short program," Viktor said, and it was true enough. "I should have told you how he felt, but it slipped my mind after you and your little 'let's end this' conversation."

Yuuri's face burned, but he let the remark slide. "What the hell do I do now, Viktor? How can I face him tomorrow?"

Viktor seldom heard his Yuuri swear. This must seriously be getting to him. "Why does this bother you so much, love? Surely it's not the first time someone you know has loved you when you didn't feel the same," Yuuri looked at him with red, swollen eyes filled with confusion. Something wasn't right. "What's wrong? You can tell me anything."

That just made Yuuri just look even more miserable, and suddenly it made sense. "Anything, Yuri," Viktor insisted, pulling him in closer.

"That's just it, Vicchan," He muttered, voice barely audible. Guilt and anguish positively gushed from him. "...I'm not sure that I don't share his feelings."

An extremely complex wave of emotions threatened to engulf Viktor, and he shoved them away as he had learned to do years ago. This was not the time to be overwhelmed. Yuuri - and Yurio - needed him right now. "Are you certain, Yuuri? I love Yurio too. It doesn't mean that I want to be with him."

Yuuri shook his head and the tears started flowing again, slowly this time. "I'm almost never certain of anything, but...yes, I love him, though not the same way you do. Not even the same way I love you. It's...confusing."

All Viktor could do was smile. Yuuri had unintentionally taught him so much about love he often forgot that Yuuri was every bit as clueless as he had been, if not more so as his anxiety made it so difficult for him to believe people could love him. "Do you want to be with him, Yuuri? Do you want to hold him, care for him, kiss him like we do for each other?"

A long but comfortable silence fell over them as Yuuri processed his feelings. Viktor waited patiently, calmly stroking Yuuri's back. Instead of a straight answer, Yuuri finally asked "But what about us? What would it mean if I did want him?"

"Do you love me, Yuuri?" Viktor asked. He seized Yuuri's waiting hand and wove their fingers together.

"I do love you, Viktor. I told you I what I wanted," he said with a warm, loving smile, the love in his eyes intoxicating. "Stay close to me, and never leave."

That phrase was an arrow in his heart. "Of course I will," He loved Yuuri too much for words, and he loved Yurio, too. He wanted them both to be happy, and if he could be the one to make that happen, he would. "That's all that matters to me, Yuuri. That we love each other."

"How can I love someone else?" Yuuri stammered, still confused.

"It's not like you have a finite amount of love to give, Yuuri," Viktor said quietly. He pulled Yuuri into his lap. The tears had subsided, but he was not going to let Yuuri go until they had this sorted. "The more people you love, the more love you have. And you already loved our little Yurio anyway, yes? Why does it matter if it became a different kind of love?"

Yuuri still seemed confused. This was not something he could get his head around easily, it would seem. "So...you would be okay with me being with both of you?"

Viktor nodded into Yuuri's hair, smiling warmly, a genuine smile he didn't have to hide behind. He loved Yuuri for that. "Not only am I okay with it, but if Yurio wants it, then I'm afraid I have to insist."

"How?" Was all an overwhelmed Yuuri managed to say.

"Because you taught me what love really is, Yuuri," Viktor purred. He so loved to bury his face in Yuuri's soft, fragrant hair. Once he saw its new length the day Yuuri arrived in St Petersburg, he had been forbidden to cut it any shorter than that. "I want to share it with everyone. No one needs it more than Yurio, and no one deserves it more than you."

"I don't understand how I deserve - "

"None of that, Yuuri," Viktor chided. "You deserve the whole world, and I want noting more than to give it all to you."

Yuuri didn't - couldn't? - speak for a while after that. When he finally did, it was to ask "Well, what do I tell him tomorrow?"

"Tell him what I told you. Tell him how you feel. If he truly loves you and he's okay with the idea, then you bring him home that very instant," Viktor teased.

"I love you, Vicchan," Yuuri said in a voice thick with emotion.

"I love you too, Yuuri," Viktor sighed. They stayed on the sofa for a long time that night, well past the hour where it became clear practice tomorrow would be difficult, but they had a lot to talk about. Yurio's feelings, Yuuri's feelings, Viktor's, plans they could do together, even stupid things like gossiping about the other skaters and wondering if Chris' relationship with that stunning brunette gentleman was open (of course it was, they decided).

Yuuri fell asleep first. He looked like an angel resting in Viktor's lap without a care in the world. Loathe to move him, Viktor simply summoned Makkachin to the couch, rested his head in the poodles' soft curls, and went to sleep.

Ice Castle was packed to the gills again. Yuri hated the idea of having to do such a sensitive performance before the crowd, but at least it was a smaller one than usual.

Viktor seemed to have no such reservations as he poured his entire heart into eros. The program had been written for him first, after all. Unlike Yuri, whose sexuality had been innocent yet passionate, Viktor's was reckless, wild, experienced. The audience was enthralled, even swooning, and Yuuri tried to escort a dazed Yuko out of the room until she kicked him in the shin and ran into the audience to watch.

Even Yuri had to admit it was intoxicating. He'd seen Viktor naked and rutting into Yuuri or getting viciously pounded half a dozen times now and none of those were as intense as this. Yuuri, standing beside him and secretly wearing his own variation on the old Agape costume (more revealing, sheer across almost the entire torso and along the side of his legs, bit still every bit as pure and angelic), was practically drooling, clenching Yuri's hand so tightly it seemed almost like he was giving birth.

Viktor finally reached the crescendo and pulled himself into the final pose. He looked so flushed and aroused that Yuri couldn't help but wonder if he'd pulled a Giacometti. He took a bow and skated out of the rink to thunderous applause. "Good luck, my little tiger," he purred. Yuri rolled his eyes and shoved Viktor out of the way.

His own costume was a reimagined eros: the bondage and lingerie theme remained, but the restraints were absent, befitting the role of master rather than subordinate. The costume suited his sleek form rather than the old one which was tailored more to enhance Yuuri's sturdier build. He looked like sex on ice, ready to command the audience to do his bidding, and he knew it.

The music started, the intro similar to eros, and yet...different. He smirked to himself, knowing that Viktor's finely-tuned ears would spot the change immediately.

Yuri skated out of the opening pose, giving himself into the throes of eros as he had weeks ago at the start of their off-season. Even so, he felt the remnants of agape sliding into his performance, recalling how he felt once, long ago, when he was willing to let Yuuri go if only to keep him happy, and how he would now he give anything for the love he felt to stay with him forever.

The music began to soften. He heard the crowd gasp, followed by wild cheering and the sounds of Yuuri gliding towards him. They spun around each other, eros and agape, yin and yang, skating in time as the opposing themes wrestled and then melded into each other through the speakers. Once the themes were fully merged they were in each other's arms.

Yuri was the lead for the piece. He wanted it to be clear that he was in control even as they were both equals. It was a difficult thing to express through choreography, but Yuuri had managed beautifully. His years of ballet had merged with Viktor's incredible grasp of expression, colored by his own knack for footwork and interpretation. It was a masterful combination, the best of Lilia and Viktor combined. Yuuri's post-retirement career would be busy as other skaters demanded his attention.

They broke apart briefly, skating an Ina Bauer in parallel, baring their hearts to each other before the audience. They came back together, skating past each other and back around, Yuri seizing his partner by the waist and pulling him into a ballet dive on the ice. Yuri's jumps were still shot, but his footwork was better than ever after working with Yuuri and Minako.

Hell, he'd even started to do figures.

As they went back to holding each other in one final, graceful spiral, Yuri felt the overwhelming urge to kiss his partner in full view of the audience and the world. Looking into Yuuri's eyes, he saw he same battle, and he decided then and there that he wanted to show his feelings as clearly as possible. As they came out of the spin and into their final pose, which was originally to be Yuri holding Yuuri, tilting him back, their faces mere inches apart, he instead dove in for a kiss, literally sweeping Yuuri off his feet and taking his lips in front of everyone. Gasps became cheers became a raucous standing ovation.

As they parted, Yuuri was bright red, almost glowing, a pleased yet confused smile on his face. They didn't have long to stare at each other, though, as an ecstatic and squealing Viktor came slamming into them. They skidded into a gigantic three-man hug, mercifully staying on their feet, and the applause somehow became even louder as they laughed. Even Yuri couldn't help it, and when Viktor caught him beaming he didn't even try to hide it...at least until he saw Viktor tearing up at the sight of his smile. Too far, old man. Calm down.

"I can't believe you two! How did you manage this without me knowing? Yuuri, did you choreograph that?! It was so beautiful! You have to choreograph my short program for this year, love," Viktor gushed. It seemed like it would never end.

"We wanted to surprise you," Yuuri said from behind a shy smile. "To show you how much it means to us that you made this all happen. For helping me to share my love, for being unfailingly loving and supportive."

"Says you," Yuri scoffed, though he still smiled. "I just wanted to beat him at his own game."

Viktor saw right through that, and Yuri knew it. Viktor pulled him in even tighter. "You've grown so much, little tiger. I hope you know I love you too."

"Oh, come on," Yuri muttered, fighting a lump in his throat. Yuuri gave him akiss on the cheek even as Viktor's face pressed against his on the other side. "Yeah, well, I guess I also I love you, or whatever..."

Viktor sighed, utterly content with his boys in his arms. "You still owe me an eros performance, young man," Viktor chided. "Don't think this gets you off the hook."

"Actually, we were thinking we could swap eros and agape for our exhibition pieces this year," Yuuri said.

"Beautiful! Then I finally get to see both!" He released his grip on them. "We should probably take our bow, my Yuris."

They turned to the still wild and overjoyed audience. Even newscaster Morooka was on his feet with them from where he sat in the booth, as he had of course volunteered to commentate for the event once again. Hesitant though he had been to be so open to all these strangers, Yuri was thrilled to have his love out in the open. Nothing had ever made him feel so alive, not even the joy of competition, of crushing and spiting his rivals.

It was a new, strange sort of thrill to know that he was truly happy, ecstatic even, and that for once that joy didn't come at the expense of others. Instead, he was able to bring those same feelings to two of the people who meant the most to him into world, and that made it all the better.


	11. Epilogue

Standing behind the barrier, Russian team jacket draped over his own variation of the Eros costume, Yuri Plisetsky watched the love of his life skate his affections before the audience and the world with a smile on his face. He didn't even care that everyone could see it. Yuuri made him too happy to trifle with such things.

His own exhibition piece had been well received at nationals and worlds this year. It seemed fitting that at the final gala of the season, Eros would be the first performance, and Agape the final.

Viktor was retiring for good this season. He stood next to Yuri with tears in his eyes as he watched Yuuri skate. Of course, Yuuri's Agape basically always made him cry, but this time the tears fell harder and faster as he bid men's singles skating goodbye. His gala skate this year was practically an elegy, one the audience participated in with silent tears culminating in raucous applause.

The three of them had dominated the podium again, with Yuri defying the critics by consistently hitting the podium at every competition, though not receiving any golds. He hadn't quite kicked the shit out of nature like he hoped, but he'd at least landed a solid blow to the shin.

Viktor was undoubtedly conflicted about ending his career with back-to-back silver medals. Yuuri had beaten him at the GPF and Worlds on the way to getting those five golds he promised - his coaching fee, naturally - and of course being both coach and skater was taxing. Even so he'd managed gold at most of his other matchups, only occasionally falling behind Yuuri. In the end, he considered Yuuri's legacy part of his own, and was thrilled Yuuri could finally live up to his potential.

Yuri was jealous of Viktor, in a way. Now that he was retired, he could be with Yuuri at all of his events. Being separated by their schedules was hard on all of them, but even so, when the time zones allowed it, they would fall asleep talking to each other on their webcams, and it was almost as good as sleeping together for real. It was pretty much impossible for Yuri to sleep without Viktor's quiet snoring now, anyway.

The music ended. Yuri relished the ending pose, with Yuuri gazing up into the sky like an angel. He was an angel, truly. Yuuri went right to them as he left the rink, and they became a large mass of tears and laughter as they celebrated the end of the season. Viktor's final one.

The final press conference of the season was highly amusing. The two Yuris were almost completely ignored as the press demanded to know what Viktor's next move was.

"Well, of course, I'm going to continue coaching. I'd like for Yuuri to move his home rink back to Japan, and we could work from there for the future. I've got my eye on another potential student as well," he said, playing coy, and Yuri knew that he was being referred to. "I've also considered ice dancing, if coaching allows me enough spare time."

"Mister Nikiforov, would you-"

"I appreciate the attention, everyone, but I've answered everything I can. Talk to my husband about his gold medal, please," Viktor teased. Yuri rolled his eyes.

"Yuuri Katsuki, do you have any comment on Mr. Nikiforov's statments?"

Not exactly changing the topic, stupid reporters. "Uh...I don't want to make any announcements about my home rink or my future just yet. I still have a few golds to go before my retirement, of course," he joked, and the press corps responded with a wave of polite laughter. "I've really come to love my rink mates in St. Petersburg, and having the input of coach Yakov and Lilia Baronovskya has been invaluable. As much as I love my home, it's a difficult decision to leave that behind."

Yuri sensed that was about him too, in Yuuri's roundabout way. The idiots were hinting they would stay in St. Petersburg if he asked, putting off Viktor's plan to retire to his beloved second home in Hasetsu. Perhaps even his true home, now. Yuuri would have to be punished after this.

"Yuri Plisetsky, your theme for this year was Progress. How did your physical changes affect your performance?"

"I'm not sitting in the middle, so obviously they affected me a lot or I'd have both of them beat," he boasted. There was another wave of laughter, though he wasn't joking. "I worked my a - well, I worked hard, anyway, to get to where I am despite the changes. Once they're done I'm getting more gold medals than Nikiforov."

Back in their hotel room later, Yuri gave both of them a swift kick. "What's all that St. Petersburg shit? Aren't you desperate to retire to Hasetsu and live off hot springs and katsudon for the rest of your life?"

Viktor laughed and collapsed onto the bed, rubbing his shin. "I can wait! Unless you want me to coach you, little tiger. You can come with us."

In truth, Yuri loved the idea, but he couldn't abandon Lilia and Yakov. Not so suddenly, at the very least. There was also his grandpa to consider, who might not have many years left. "Once katsudon retires, sure."

Yuuri smiled and joined Viktor on the bed, hauling Yuri down into his lap. Yuuri was noticeably taller than him now, though still just shy of Viktor's height. That didn't stop Yuuri from holding him like he was still a tiny kitten, though. "Sounds like a plan. We can both coach you. No katsudon until you bring us a gold medal."

How dare he. "No katsudon, no Hasetsu," Yuri huffed. The two of them just laughed and pressed him into a Yuri sandwich. "Okay, okay! Quit it already!"

They did not. "You mean it, then? You'll tell Yakov you're leaving when I retire, kitten?" Yuuri asked, running a hand through Yuri's soft flaxen hair.

Yuri nodded into Yuuri's shoulder. If need be, he'd haul his grandpa down to Hasetsu as well. The beaches and hot springs would do him some good in his last days. "You promise you aren't staying in St. Petersburg just for my sake, right? I can tell the old man to shove it if so. I don't want you sacrificing for me."

"We're not in any rush, little tiger. Hasetsu will be there for us no matter what," Viktor said, ruffling his hair.

"Besides, I really do like having Lilia's input on my choreography," Yuuri said. "I also get to rub it in Minako's face that I see her idol every day, which is fun."

"You just like gossiping about me with Mila," Yuri grumbled.

"Also fun," Yuuri admitted with a sly smile. When Yuri scowled, he dove in and kissed it away.

Ugh. Now he wanted to say something stupid...in front of Viktor, even. "Hey Katsudon," he muttered. Yuuri's bright eyes softened as he smiled in response. "Tell me I'm pretty."

To his credit, Viktor didn't laugh at him or even gush about how cute it was. The respect was another unexpected gesture in a long line of them, going back to Viktor's sincere respect for his feelings last year, or even as far back as Barcelona.

Yuuri smiled. He loved teasing out this little ritual of theirs now. "You know I love you for so much more than that, kitten."

"Yeah, I do. Which is why I don't ask about that. I just like hearing you say I'm pretty," Yuuri growled.

"Yes, you are very, very pretty," Yuuri said with an amused and loving smile.

Yuri purred and buried his face into his katsudon's warm chest once again. Yuuri loved him, and Yuuri said he was pretty. Nothing else mattered.


End file.
